Stripes and Stars
by Kstrong
Summary: Jena Mason is a Patriot solider with an interesting past. Being the daughter Rachel Matheson gave up for adoption while in college never had much of an effect on her life until now. Jena finds herself torn between turning her Mother and half-sister Charlie in or trying to save them. She is confronted with her hatred for General Monroe but finds that maybe she was wrong about him.
1. Chapter 1

Stripes and Stars

Chapter 1 – Meet and Greet

She could hardly believe what she saw before her eyes standing in front of the barn she had been stalking for the past week.

"Monroe..." Barely escaped in a whisper from her lips as she dropped her binoculars into her lap. How he was alive she couldn't fathom. She had watched the murdering traitor die for killing all those people by dropping the bombs but yet here he was sitting pretty and playing house with _them_. Jena couldn't understand how or even why the Matheson's were hiding that scum. She also couldn't explain why she knew in her heart she couldn't turn them in.

It was complicated, as so many things in this world are. Being a loyal patriot and a damn good officer in their ranks had Jena's whole body screaming to turn them in. It had been six days since she found them but that was really no difficult feat. They honestly weren't as good as they thought they were at covering their tracks, especially against someone who would make it her life's mission to find them again and again.

Jena would always remember the first time she spotted Rachel. Of course, this wasn't the first time she had seen the bitch but she swore that she wouldn't allow Rachel to simply brush her off again. She was no longer the naive seven year old who just wanted answers or some kind of connection with those she should matter to. And she definitely wasn't the scared, stupid thirteen year old who had finally found her again at a Monroe militia holding camp.

Both encounters had gone pretty much the same. Rachel wanted nothing to do with the little girl she had given up for adoption in her third year of college. She didn't want to give any explanations or answer any questions; she simply wanted Jena to disappear so she could focus on taking care of and saving her wonderful little family.

Screw her, Jena thought and simmered with all of the anger and betrayal she had in her body that revolved around Rachel Matheson.

Yet, regardless of her biological mother's terrible disposition toward her, she still felt like she had to protect them but this...Monroe here with them. That's taking things way too far.

Jena's heart ached with the battle going on in her head. Turn them in or not, that is the question. She had been turned into the perfect little solider, always following orders swiftly and diligently no matter what they were because the ends justify the means, right? Lately, she was having a hard time convincing herself of this as she was welcomed deeper into the inner circle of the higher-up patriots and hearing their schemes for how to get the country back. Some of their plans were down right deplorable but what was she going to do? She missed the country for what it was, or at least what she could remember of it. All she knew for sure was that the past fifteen years had been one dark hell after another until she found solace with the patriots and of course, with Andrew.

He was her hero, her Captain America who had brought her in and under his wing. He saved her life countless times and saved a part of her heart she no longer thought existed.

Her stomach twisted at the betrayal she took part in by knowing exactly where the Matheson's and where Monroe were but not telling anyone. This was treason; she could be executed or imprisoned but nothing tore her up more than the realization that Andrew would be disappointed and ashamed of her. He might cast her out and take back the love he so selflessly gave her. He could never find out.

So she had to find out why Monroe was there and make sure her idiot mother wasn't planning any more terrorist attacks on the patriots. Jena had been so careful to watch them undetected but that was because she did so from far away and while this concealed her interest she still could never hear anything they talked about or what they plotted. She would have to get a closer look at these asshats and figure out what the hell was going on.

A path around the hills she scoped them out from and then snaking through the woods could bring her right up to the back of the barn where she was sure she would be able to hear them but that would have to wait until darkness blanketed around her. She couldn't risk eavesdropping in the bright Texan sun so she simply got comfortable in her spot and continued viewing them through her binoculars.

Hours passed and the sheer amount of drama that seemed to go down in and around that barn was exhausting her. She couldn't hear a word of their conversations but she could definitely see each and every one of them pacing, arguing, and even actual fighting between the bunch of them! Pathetic she thought as the shook her head. They look to be working together but can't be around each other for more than a couple hours at a time. Miles was constantly fighting with Monroe, Charlie fighting with Rachel, some curly headed kid, and Monroe, and lastly, Rachel arguing with Gene. It was making her head spin and continuing the distaste she had for every person down there but nevertheless she still felt obligated to that awful woman so she climbed down from her perch and began her trek through the woods.

Keeping in mind that she was trying to spy on the past generals of the Monroe republic she tried her best to be on silent footing. She had almost reached the edge of the woods when her heart dropped to her stomach at the sound of a gun cocking. Shit...

"Well look what we have here." She heard from behind her in a raspy voice she had heard only a few times before. Monroe.

How the hell did he find her? When she left she made for damn sure everyone was in the barn for the night.

"Unluckily for you darlin' whiskey goes right through me and I had to take a piss. So, this is how it's gonna go, turn around with your hands above your head and don't even think about gettin cute and reaching for a weapon. I'm pretty sure you know who I am and if that's the case then you know I'm a dead shot." Monroe answered her unspoken thoughts.

She rolled her eyes at the cocky asshole and slowly turned around while casting a scalding look in his direction. She was pretty sure that if looks could kill Monroe would have dropped dead right where he stood. Jena refused to let him think he intimidated her so she raised her chin in a challenge and stared him right in his eyes.

"Whoa, relax girl, what's with the death glare?!" He took a small step back not expecting the intensity and anger that radiated off of such a beautiful face. Who the hell was this chick?

"Well then, who are you? Whatcha doin here sunshine?" Monroe chuckled at his own silly nickname of her because she was clearly no ray of sun but he was met with dead silence on her end.

Jena thought about any way she could talk herself out of this mess but based on her equipment and general demeanor she was clearly some sort of soldier. Also, it wouldn't take them long to find the American flag she had tattooed on her shoulder from her rebel days. Shit, shit, shit. Think Jena.

"Uh, hello? Are you mute? Who the hell are you?" Monroe was getting impatient with her silence and she was running out of possible escape scenarios when a miracle happened. The loud cracking of a tree branch under someone or something's foot had Monroe whipping his head toward the noise for just a second but that was all Jena needed to break off into a sprint deep into the forest.

"Shit!" She heard Monroe growl as he took off after her but Jena had always been a fast runner and she was out like light, almost having fun with the chase because Monroe was closely keeping up with her. She soaked in the feeling of wind lashing against her cheeks and the burning in her chest but got too caught in the fun of the chase when her foot got caught under a tree root and she fell flat on her face.

Of course, Monroe didn't miss the opportunity to jump on top of her and pin her to the ground but sitting on her stomach and holding her wrists above her head.

"God damn girl...I gotta give it to you, you can really run...Jesus, were you having fun back there?!" He asked her slightly amused but between labored breaths as he tried to get his breathing back to normal. Who the hell is this woman?

"Get off me!" Jena growled in response but was met with Monroe's cruel laugher.

"She speaks! Well who would have thought?" He said while laughing and she took that moment of vulnerability to successfully head-butt him straight on the bridge of his nose.

He groaned and dipped his head in pain as blood started to drip from his nose but his grip on her wrists only tightened.

Bitch! He thought but controlled the urge to punch her right in the face. She would be of no use knocked out. Clearly this wasn't getting them anywhere though so he decided he had to get her back to the barn where he could properly figure out who the hell this bitch was.

She thrashed around as Monroe dragged her to her feet and he was quickly getting sick of her escape attempts. He quickly reached down to grab his knife and put it's sharp blade to her throat pressing just hard enough that a bead of blood gathered at the tip of his knife. Yeah this stopped all that damn movement.

"Keep trying to get away from me and I'll slit your throat right here. No one will know and no one will find you. Got it, sunshine?" He sneered at her but she only responded with her murderous glare once again.

Monroe snorted at this defiant little thing and shook his head as he started to lead her back the way they came with his knife secured right under her jaw.

He looked down to her bare shoulder that was revealed due to one of the straps of her tank top inching down as a result of their scuffle and wasn't even remotely surprised by what he saw hiding beneath it. An American flag. The little bitch is a patriot. He shook his head again and laughed a cold humorless laugh.

"Just great, a patriot? And here I hoped better from you, sunshine." He scolded.

At this Jena couldn't hold back a cold laugh in return, "That coming from a mass murderer? Ha! I'm crushed that I don't have your approval." She spit out sarcastically. Who the hell did he think he was to judge her?! The balls on this guy amazed her.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I'm the piece of crap that dropped the bombs, right? Like I haven't gotten that one before. Be more original." He shot back.

"I could imagine that the reminder that you murdered countless innocent people is definitely one you've gotten before." She said as she rolled her eyes hardly able to contain the hatred she felt towards him but was startled when he suddenly spun her around to face him.

Her nose was just inches from his own and she could feel his warm breath spread across her skin. Their bodies were flush up against each other and she could feel the barely contained rage shaking his entire body. This was the first time he had ever scared her since she had met him including his days as General Monroe.

"You seriously have zero idea what you're talking about, so why don't you shut your damn mouth and drop it before I make this trip back a whole lot more uncomfortable for the both of us by knocking you out and throwing you over my shoulder. Clear?" He asked in a deadly quiet voice.

She waited for him to spin her back around and keep going but it was clear he wouldn't continue with out a response. So, she simply nodded once and quietly responded, "Clear".

"Glad we're at an understanding." Was all he said in return before flipping her around and shoving her forward.

You wouldn't know people currently inhabited the dingy barn upon a first glance by how dark and quiet it was but once inside there was no escaping the chaos that embodied these people.

Monroe pushed her through the storm doors while still holding her arms behind her back. Jena grunted at the rough handing while shooting him another one of her famous death glares before turning back around to find four confused faces staring back at her. Just great. Rachel, fortunately enough, wasn't one of them but Jena still wanted to kick herself for being just the slightest bit disappointed that she wasn't there.

"Uh, Bass...what the hell is this?" Said a confused Miles Matheson as he gestured toward Jena as if Monroe had brought a wild animal into the room. It was no secret that Miles had been apart of the bombing that took so many lives as well, so Jena couldn't control the anger that radiated off her directed at him. Traitors, they are all damn traitors.

Miles raised his eyebrows clearly not getting why some little blond chick was light him on fire with her eyes after being manhandled into the barn by Monroe.

"I found this in the woods, she was trying to sneak up on us-" Monroe started but was abruptly cut off.

"No I wasn't, I don't even know what you're talking about" Jena said determined to get them to believe her. She knew there was no way they would that but she still felt she had to try.

"Yeah, right." Snorted the girl who she had come to find was called Charlie. This was her half sister and Jena already found herself disliking the girl more than she already had.

"Other than a colorful repertoire of insults she hasn't said much about who she is or why she's here but she is a patriot. Got their mark right here on her shoulder." Monroe continued.

Nobody had to check her shoulder to see what it was because they all knew too well from Nora the mark that hid there.

"Okay, well she's here now so what in the hell do you propose we do with her?" Miles asked unsure of why Bass even brought her back in the first place.

"We could kill her but then we won't know if others are coming. We could let her go and others will certainly be coming after that. Or we can find out what she knows." Said Charlie sound almost uninterested until she got to that last part. Jena watched as four heads collectively turned toward a chair that had ropes near it and crusted blood on the sides.

Jena's stomach turned upside down but she refused to show her fear. Here they sat debating her life with her right in front of them like she was some kind of stupid child. So while setting her face in the meanest expression she could manage she barked out "You know I am right here, you don't have to talk about me like I'm not standing right in front of you. God damn traitors, you people disgust me."

At this the curly headed kid, Charlie, Miles, and Gene all raised their eyebrows at her in shock and she was damn sure Monroe was wearing the same stupid expression behind her.

"Wow...can I keep her?" The curly headed dumbass finally broke the silence.

"Shut the hell up Connor" shot out of Charlie's mouth and before Jena could blink she has crossed the room and stuck her knife to Jena's throat.

"Do you think this a game?!" Charlie yelled into her face before going on "And you think we're the traitors?! Are you kidding me? Do you actually have any idea what is going on or are you just blindly doing what you're told like a good little girl." Incredulity dripped from every word she spoke as she waited for an answer but the anger was clear on her face and something else as well, maybe hurt. Jena couldn't put her finger on it though.

In that moment, even though she found Charlie ridiculous and far to arrogant, Jena admired her. She wouldn't want her little half sister to be any other way in this messed up world. Charlie seemed tough, deadly but like she still cared about something and although Jena knew she had no right to it, couldn't help but be proud she turned out that way.

Her thoughtfulness was taken as just more obnoxious silence and Jena realized this when Charlie, Connor, Monroe, and Miles all collectively looked away and began looking intently at each other as if they were speaking through some kind of telepathy. Everyone was looking away from her except for Gene who just kind of stared like he was trying to place her in his mind.

"Have we met before?" He asked as everyone whipped around surprised that he was actually speaking. "I feel like I've seen you before, you're so familiar."

"Well that's probably because you were best buds with the patriots behind our backs, wouldn't be surprised if you bumped into her once or twice." grumbled Monroe.

"Really?" Was Miles's sarcastic response, sick of the constant bickering between Gene and Monroe but none of this fazed Gene as he just started in some kind of amazement at Jena.

Did he know? I mean, he must have known what Rachel did but how would he know just by looking at Jena. She had never met him before so surely there was no way he could just know.

She shifted uncomfortably under his unfailing stare and Monroe immediately picked up on that. "Gene, do you know her?" He demanded.

Jena finally relearned how to form sentences and vocalize them, not wanting her identity to be blown. "You've probably seen me around HQ, I know I've seen you there plenty of times." She added a snide little grin at the end to rub in the fact that he betrayed his own family but he didn't even seem to notice.

"Alright, I'm sick of this, tie her to the chair." said Charlie clearly over Jena's games.

Jena's heart quickened and she began to sweat but said nothing as Monroe led her to the dreaded chair and tied her in. While tightening the last knot around her wrist, tight enough to leave some scars, he looked up at her and found himself frozen by her dark eyes.

With everything going on before he hadn't realized just how beautiful she really was. Her wavy, curly hair stopped just before her shoulders and was almost silver in color mixed slightly with gold that seemed artfully weaved throughout. She had the lightest blonde hair he had ever seen. Her tiny button nose sat above perfect dark pink lips and her cheeks were dusted with freckles from the Texan sun. But what captured him the most was her big chocolate brown eyes and the long lashes that fanned out around them. That's the only place he could see her fear and he found himself not wanting to let this whole thing go down.

"Just talk to me, it doesn't have to be like this." He said quietly, hoping she could see how earnest he was trying to be but he could see it was no use.

"Of course it does." Was all she said back even quieter and Monroe couldn't help but feel wrong for doing this, something just didn't seem right here.

He backed out if the room and walked up to Charlie "She's all yours." He grumbled remorsefully before walking away and back outside.

Charlie gave a slight nod and walked slowly but purposefully into the room. She looked like she didn't want to do this either but when it came down to some stranger or her family she would always pick her family. Jena cracked a small smile and was proud again that Charlie had the guts to do what had to be done in order to keep those she cared about safe.

"Something funny?" Charlie snapped at her.

"Who are you, Torture Time Barbie? Ready to play?" Jena decided to mess with her because sister or not there was no way she was giving up any information. So, might as well make this fun.

Charlie snorted and produced a cold hard laugh "Bitch, by the time we're done you are going to see just how wrong you are." She replied in that arrogant voice that Jena was beginning to loathe.

"Ha! Yeah I bet -" was all Jena managed to get out before Charlie's right hook hit her smack on the side of her face.

Ouch! To say the least, the girl packed a mean punch but Jena wouldn't go down that easy.

"What's your name and why are you here?" Charlie demanded in a cold voice.

"Hmm... let's see. Wouldn't you like to know and none of your damn business?" Jena replied in an amused tone after spitting some blood on the ground but was met with two more punches on each side of her face. She wondered how the hell she was going to get out of this and tried to mask her scan of the room for any sharp objects to cut the rope.

"Yeah, good luck bitch, there's nothing in here and those knots on your wrists are pretty damn tight" Charlie sneered before letting lose another punch.

Jena's vision began to go spotty and dark. She almost wished she would knock out so she would have a quick break from this but they had only gotten started and Jena felt she would be here for a while.

"What are the patriots planning?" Charlie demanded again in a harsher tone while holding Jena's throat and cocking her fist back.

"A pizza party" Jena managed to barely get out and winced at the on coming hit she was sure to receive when Charlie's fist was caught in midair.

"What's going on he-" was all the blonde figure next to Charlie could get out before she gasped. Jena could hardly make out her form through swollen eyes but she knew that voice anywhere. Her heart clenched and she immediately felt vomit rising up her throat but refused to appear so affected.

"Mom, go into the other room, I'm taking care of this. Bass caught her in the forest trying to spy on us, she's a patriot." Charlie said this all matter-of-factly with no hint of mercy.

"Get out of the room." Rachel demanded and managed to catch Charlie off guard with her harsh tone.

"Uh, what? No, it's fine, I'm handling this." Charlie stuttered out unsure of her mother's strange reaction. It's not like they haven't done this before.

"Charlie, get out. Now." Rachel said a little harsher.


	2. Chapter 2

Stripes and Stars

Chapter 2 – Mother Dearest

Jena's cuts were beginning to sting and she pleaded with her body to just knock out already. With the definite swelling she probably she looked like some kind of Frankenstein monster and was surprised Rachel was able to recognize her at all.

Rachel raced into the next room for a knife and began hacking away at the ropes on Jena's wrists and ankles. The shock of seeing her daughter after countless years had shaken her to the bone and the crushing guilt that she was being tortured while Rachel slept in the next room was nauseating. She felt herself slipping into the hysteria that followed the dropping of the nukes but tried to fight it as best she could.

"Mom, what the hell are you doing?!" Charlie shouted while leaping forward to grab the knife from Rachel's hands but was met with a hard shove from her mother. She stumbled back and crashed into a desk before yelling again. "You really are still crazy!"

Charlie ran outside to get Bass and Miles, unsure of what to do with her lunatic mother freeing their prisoner inside. When they all rushed back into the room shock took over every one of them.

Rachel kneeled before Jena and held her face in her hands trying to look onto her eyes but they were swollen shut.

"Jennifer?" Rachel choked out in a shaking voice, startled by the rush of emotion that overtook her staring at the stranger that was her own blood.

"Jennifer? Come on, look at me." Rachel's voice shook with determination and unshed tears as she tried to lift her daughters face to meet hers.

"Wait, you know her?!" Miles asked confused by Rachel's reaction to this strange Patriot solider. "How the hell do you know her?"

"Help me lift her up and put her in a bed" was all Rachel responded with.

"Are you insane? She's a prisoner and she was clearly trying to spy on us and you wanna tuck her into bed. Who the hell is she, mom?" Charlie was beginning to lose her patience. Her lips tightened and nostrils flared in anger toward her mother.

The only person who didn't protest the situation was Bass who simply walked over and lifted Jena up like she was a piece of paper. Rachel shot him an annoyed glance but decided to let him help since he was the only one trying. She felt bile rise in her stomach at the sight of Monroe holding one of her children against his chest and knew she would never forgive the monster.

"Oh relax, Rachel, unless you want to carry her yourself." He said as he rolled his eyes and stomped out of the room cradling a finally knocked out Jena.

He hardly recognized the girl from just a half hour ago whose face was now covered in blood and swollen. He felt a pang of regret at letting Charlie punch the living daylights out of her but what was he supposed to do? The girl in his arms was being impossible! Monroe set her down on a small cot and brushed away some of the whispy blonde hairs that were caked to her face and stained with blood. He stopped to admire her again and wondered just who this chick was but was quickly shoved aside by Rachel with Gene hot on his heels.

"I knew it, dammit, I knew it the moment I saw her" Gene said clearly angry with himself for not intervening in the way they were all treating her as well.

"Stitch up her eyebrow and the gash in her cheek, I'll clean her up" was all Rachel said in a cold detached voice.

"Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on and who this Jennifer girl is?" Miles said from the doorway, unsure if he should enter the room. He knew Rachel well enough to know that something was definitely wrong and that this girl meant something to her, whatever it may be.

Charlie unfortunately not so much, "Hello! Mom, who is Jennifer?" She demanded impatient.

Rachel was just about to open her mouth when Monroe jumped in, "Get out, let's go, out of the room. Now." He said while backing to the door and trying to shove them out.

"Like hell! Don't tell me what to do!" Charlie shouted at Monroe but it was no use he easily shoved her out of the room anyway. Monroe slammed the door behind him and turned around to face a supremely pissed off Charlie.

"What the hell is your problem!?" she shouted as she shoved him toward the wall.

"I don't think that chick is here to hurt us and neither does your mom so just give it a damn rest, would ya?" He didn't have to explain himself to her and tried ending the conversation by shoulder past but she shoved him again. Okay now she was really starting to piss him off.

"How could you even know that?" Charlie demanded not understanding why suddenly Monroe decided to go soft.

"Because I just do Charlie! She's a damn Patriot soldier who was once a rebel and you first hand know how damn hard those idiots fought. If she wanted to hurt someone she would have done it already or buckled under the ass kicking she was receiving from you." He shouted back at her.

"All of that means absolutely nothing, she's probably just playing us!" Charlie yelled as she threw her hands in the air in frustration.

"As much as I hate saying this, Charlie, he does have a point. Thank about it, that girl is trained well enough to not fold under an interrogation. I think with that kind of training she would have at least knocked one of us out if that's why she was here." Miles conceded looking thoughtfully toward the closed door and wondering what was going on behind it.

"You have to be kidding me? You're siding with him now too?" Charlie asked incredulously.

"My instincts are telling me that she's not a threat, at least not while she's here." Said Monroe. 

"Oh yeah and your instincts have served you really well before, right General Monroe? You let a whole goddamn republic fall because you trusted your instincts." Charlie said with a smile on her face while getting in Monroe's.

"Miles, get her away from me before I hit her." Monroe said while looking away from her. As much as he may have come to admire Charlie and even though he had saved her on a couple of occasions it still burned him to look at the obnoxious little girl who had a big hand in destroying his republic.

Miles shoved Charlie back and out of Bass's firing range, "alright, alright you two. Just try for a couple minutes to play nice."

He waited for the heated stare offs and testosterone in the room to cool down before continuing with the situation at hand, "Really though we can't just keep her here. What the hell are we gonna do with her?" Miles asked.

"I think we should, you know, keep her here, at least until we figure out what exactly she is here for." Connor interjected. 

Miles rolled his eyes, "yeah I bet you do." Connor scowled while Monroe chuckled and nudged his arm.

"Oh, just wonderful, first we catch her sneaking up on us and now we're going to play house with her. Sounds like a great time." Charlie added sarcastically while barging out the barn doors.

Monroe shook his head while looking at Miles "How the hell you put up with that for as long as you have is just amazing to me. I really should have just handed over the whole republic along with a damn medal to the most patient man in the world."

"Don't be a dick." Miles shot back and left to go talk to Charlie.

A couple minutes of silence passed by when Connor interrupted Monroe's thoughts, "really though, what's your plan?"

"To get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day filled with a lot more of that BS." Monroe said and then stalked off to make a cot on the floor.

~~~~~~~~~~

The sounds of sleep washed over Jena as she tried to open her eyes but one of them wouldn't budge. What the hell had she gotten herself into? Surely Andrew was looking high and low for her right now while worried sick. What was she going to tell him? She could lie, say she got lost and was jumped but he always seemed to see right through her.

She felt a squeeze on her hand and jumped out of her thoughts so find the origin of contact. Rachel sat with red rimmed eyes staring back her but withdrew her hand realizing her overstep in Jena's boundaries.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Rachel said examining the welts on her daughters face. A face that so resembled Jena's father but the hair was all her own.

"Can I have some water?" Jena choked out.

"Oh, of course, sorry about that." Rachel said as she jumped up to get her canteen. She held it to Jena's lips but saw that she preferred to do it on her own and backed off once again.

"Thank you." She said as she took a few more sips and put it down next to her.

"Of course" Rachel responded with. Over the years she felt she had so much to say to the daughter she had cast away on multiple occasions but now she couldn't even think of where to start. The guilt pulsed through her to the point where her body ached and she wanted nothing more than to comfort the girl before her but knew she couldn't. Jena wouldn't have it.

Jena looked over her mother, studying each feature and thankful for the fact that they really did look quite different. Wherever she got her looks from it was clearly not Rachel. She wanted so bad to pull the dagger from her chest that her mother had rammed in there years ago but she couldn't find the forgiveness within her and she was running out of time. "I need to leave. Rachel, I can't stay here. I have to go back. People will come looking for me, you all know that right?"

Rachel took in a sharp breath at her daughter's abruptness but knew that after all these years of no contact this wouldn't be a happy meeting. "I know that, I just...Jennif-"

"It's Jena." She interrupted trying hard to hide her distaste for her full name. She had always insisted people call her Jena because her full name was way too personal and always made her think of her mother.

Rachel cracked a sad smile and looked down to her hands "Right...Jena, well, they'll never allow me to just let you leave. You know that right?"

Jena huffed and a bit of hopelessness began to overtake her "Rachel, I gotta go. If you ever cared about me at all you'll just let me leave."

That hit Rachel like a brick. Of course she cared, she always cared and thought about Jena every single day that passed but how could she know that? Every time Jena came to her for help she cast her away like an old sock. The first time was all her own fault, she couldn't handle the shock of welcoming a new daughter into the family while dealing with Danny's difficult pregnancy but the second time was different entirely. The second time was to save Jena but Rachel never again got the chance to tell her that story.

"I'll talk to them. Maybe if you were willing to share some information-"

"Absolutely not" Jena interrupted, infuriated that Rachel would even suggest that. "And what is wrong with you?! Shacking up with Monroe here like you're old pals? He killed thousands dropping those nukes, he kept you from your family, he killed your son! Jesus Rachel...are you that desperate for help?"

Rachel stared at her battered daughter at a complete loss of words. Of course not all of that was true but she couldn't know that, nobody did but she was right about Danny. Hearing how stupid Jena thought she was for all of this was like pouring salt in her open wounds. Rachel wanted nothing to do with Monroe, she hated him and the first opportunity she got she swore she would kill him. Sebastian Monroe destroyed a part of Rachel that she wasn't even aware could be destroyed. She felt as if a chunk of her soul had been cut out and crushed to dust. What had taken its place was this inescapable darkness that sucked away all her hope at every chance it got. She had lost her son but she had also lost so much more.

"I hate him," Rachel admitted through gritted teeth. The sheer amount of hate alone had tears welling in her eyes and caused her body to shake because what she would say next had been ruining her day after day, "but we need him and there is nothing I can do about it."

Jena nodded and felt a tidal wave of exhaustion overcome her. She tried a yawn but winced at the shock of pain that ran across her face.

"Go back to sleep we can talk more in the morning, goodnight Jena." Rachel said as she made herself comfortable in the chair and Jena dozed off into a fitful sleep.

That morning Jena awoke to the sound of a scream. She shot up in her bed out of breath and clutched her chest willing the pounding in her ears to slow down.

"Whoa, damn girl, this happen often?" A concerned looking Miles hovered over her and she flinched back forgetting her current predicament for a moment.

Miles held up his hands, "you're fine, I'm not here to hurt you. Rachel had to get some sleep so I took over watch, you're fine okay?"

Jena just scowled at him and thanked her lucky stars she wasn't a damn Matheson. Each and every one of them were known traitors and terrorists clinging on to their old minuscule ways of life. Well the patriots were going to change that; they were going to save them.

Miles glanced up at her but then continued on looking for the antiseptic, "I guess I kinda get all the hostility. The red, white, and blue gave you a home, a gun, and a purpose. Told you we are the big bad enemy," he shrugged before continuing, "but it's time to wake up, girl. You mean something to Rachel, what it is? I don't know yet but when we find out it's going to make things very complicated for you more than anyone else."

She said nothing and let him continue his rant but when he started to come close she stiffened and pressed herself to the wall next to the bed she was in.

"I told you, I'm not going to hurt you. Well actually this stuff stings like a bitch but I have to put it over your stitches so quit squirming around." He said as he came closer holding a discolored piece of fresh gauze.

Jena allowed him to apply the ointment to her face without complaint but made sure to watch his every move. He caught her staring and smiled, "so I guess the suspense continues then, huh? Rachel won't tell me and you're a part time mute. Guess I'll just have to wait." He turned his back to her to dispose of the gauze and while turned around Jena finally spoke up.

"I'm her daughter." She stated matter-of-factly and not giving any time for Miles to ease into that bit of information.

He slowly turned around and stared in shock at the slight young woman before him. How could that be possible? Rachel didn't cheat on his brother with anyone but him to his knowledge, as horrible as that is to say but she hardly looked any older than Charlie.

That hair though, the same pale blonde as Rachel's and maybe somewhere in that nose he saw her but that's where the similarities ended. Surely this girl must be mistaken but based on Rachel's reaction last night he knew that wasn't true. He let out an unsteady breath he didn't even realize he was holding and finally spoke, "how? I mean...how is that possible? Uh...how old are you?" He stammered out.

"I'm twenty-seven, Rachel had me in college. She couldn't keep me so she gave me up for adoption, which would have been fine and dandy but then there was this awful black out that really just kind of ruined everything." She said not backing down from Miles' stare.

He had no idea what to say to her and just stood there like an idiot. Eventually his brain began to work again and he decided to return the favor of shocking truth, "Bass and I didn't drop the nukes, the Patriots did."

Now it was Jena's turn to be shocked but the dumb expression on her face didn't last long until it turned to unimaginable anger and she jumped up from the bed, "you're a damn liar!" She yelled from across the room.

"You are a liar," she repeated before continuing, "That makes absolutely no sense and damn you for trying to convince me otherwise!"

Jena whirled around to the small set of medical supplies at the foot of her bed and with a speed that could only be that of a soldier, grabbed the medical scissors and threw them as hard as she could as Miles. He moved just in time that instead of the scissors lodging into his heart, they were stuck out of his left arm.

"Dammit!" he roared but she had already turned back around and was readying to throw the scalpel when she heard Miles' gun cock.

"Seriously? Was that really necessary?!" he yelled but continued on in a rant, "did I try to kick your ass when you threw down some unbelievable information? No, in case you were wondering, I didn't!"

Monroe burst into the room ready to fight and quickly examined the situation. On one side of the room blondie was poised to throw a scalpel into Miles' chest and on the other side there Miles stood hunched over an arm that had a pair of scissors sticking out of it and a gun pointed at blondie in the other hand. So of course he did what any other reasonable person would do, he burst out laughing.

"Oh shut up" Miles grumbled.

Bass tried to calm his laughter but it only grew harder at Miles' anger, "so I guess you're fired from the babysitters club, huh Miles?" He got out around whooping laughs.

"Such a dick" Miles muttered while shaking his head, "a little help would be nice."

Bass laughed a little more before approaching Jena with his arms up, "come on sunshine, drop the scalpel."

Jena hesitated darting her eyes between the two but didn't sense a threat so she complied, "he deserved it." She rolled her eyes and tossed the scalpel back with the medical supplies. Standing in the middle of the room she began to feel dizzy and stumbled, accidentally grabbing Monroe's arm for support.

"You okay?" He asked her and tried to help her back to bed but once she realized she was holding on to his arm she jumped back as if she had grabbed a snake.

"I'm fine, by the way. Thanks for asking." Miles grumbled as he put his pistol away.

Bass walked over to him and in one swift movement snatched the scissors right out of his arm, "oh don't be such a big baby."

Miles squeezed his eyes shut in pain, "asshole, such an asshole."

"Yeah, yeah but you know you love me" Bass chuckled.

"As touching as this is, I'd like my stuff now as I have to leave" Jena stated while still gripping onto the side of the bed.

Both men raised their eyebrows but Monroe was the first to speak, "that's all well and good, sunshine, but you look like you're about four steps away from passing out. So, why don't you save us all the time and stress of dragging your ass back from the forest and just get in bed" he said with a false smile.

Jena rolled her eyes and just sat at the edge of it mulling over her situation.

"When was the last time you ate?" Monroe asked as he threw her a roll and a bit of last night's rabbit. She looked at it as though it may have been poisoned and was tempted to throw it right back at him along with her own middle finger but just then her body betrayed her and her stomach grumbled.

"Yeah that's what I thought," he continued, "eat that and I'll go get Rachel, I want to know what the hell is going on."

As he went to leave Miles scoffed and muttered under his breath, "no you do not" and followed him out.

After herding Rachel, Charlie, Gene, Connor, Miles, and Monroe into the room with Jena, she repeated what she had said to Miles. Of course every jaw attached to a person who didn't know dropped to the floor, except for Charlie who just looked at Jena like she wanted to skin her alive.

"I've been watching you all since the Patriots first arrived in Willoughby but didn't want to be involved or know anything about your plans until I saw you working with the most wanted terrorist on the continent. I haven't made any moves to turn you in but was debating or whether or not I should once I saw him back alive. So, I snuck down and tried to listen in when all this happened." Jena explained.

Monroe looked confused and shocked still, "wait can we rewind to when you were Rachel's daughter? How the hell? I don't understand. How did nobody know you had a daughter?"

Rachel had her eyes glued to her hands but the tears forming were obvious, "it happened in college, only my family knew, and I never allowed her to make contact with us once I was with Ben." At least she had the decency to look ashamed.

Finally Charlie spoke up, "allowed? What do you mean allowed? Did you try to make contact before the blackout?" she asked accusingly at Jena.

Jena felt the emotion rising in her chest but forced it back down, "it doesn't really matter now does it? This is the reality of the situation so, let's deal with it."


	3. Chapter 3

**** Hi all, thanks so much for reading! It really means a lot to me. Also, this is my first fanfic so any and all reviews are definitely welcome. I really want to know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. Sorry it's taken so long for me to post chapters in between, it's been a hectic week. Thanks again and enjoy! ****

Stars and Stripes

Chapter 3 – Blindsided

"It seems to me that we all need to have a little Q&A, you know, without the knife throwing," Miles said while cocking his head to the side and throwing an accusing look Jena's way.

She simply shrugged her shoulders and responded, "You lied to me."

"No, actually I didn't, that's the funny part. Rachel, would you like to take the stage and catch Ms. Know-it-all up on the past year?" Miles asked.

"Oh uhh, yes, of course." Rachel said as she took the chair next to Jena's bed.

Jena rolled her eyes and awaited to hear what she expected to be a string of lies but was nowhere near prepared for what Rachel was about to say to her.

Rachel scratched the side of her face and looked around the room nervously, "I mean, I guess I don't really know where to begin. I should probably start by asking what do you know? About the blackout, me, Miles, Monroe, the bombs, any of it."

Jena narrowed her eyes and drew her eyebrows in, what did her mother have to do with the blackout? Why would she know anything about that? "What does the black out have anything to do with the three of you?" She asked hesitantly, frightened by what the answer may be.

There was a collective sigh in the room but it wasn't one of relief, it was one of sadness. It looked as though the life had been punched out of each of them with that statement and they all looked worriedly at Rachel like she might crack in half at any moment.

Finally Bass spoke up, "let's give them some space to talk this out. We have to start preparing for our trip to New Vegas anyways" he said to Charlie and Connor. They nodded and followed him out along with Gene but Miles stayed. Probably to protect Rachel incase Jena went nuts and started throwing knives again.

Rachel sighed again before starting her story about how the blackout happened and that her nanotech were the cause. She told Jena about Ben and Aaron Pittman, about Randal Flynn and her involvement with the DOD. She told her how she had to leave her family to protect them even though she now realizes that was a terrible idea, how Ben had been shot and Danny captured, and eventually how Charlie found Miles and took on the Monroe republic. She went on to tell Jena how she traveled to the tower to turn the power back on and the horrible things that happened there.

Tears streamed down Rachel's cheeks and it felt as if her chest were on fire as she recalled watching Flynn press the button to nuke Philly and Atlanta, "I didn't know that was his plan all along, I had no idea. I was so wrapped up in the idea of getting the power back on that I never thought of the consequences. I killed so many, it was all my fault...but the last thing Flynn said before he killed himself was "I'm a patriot". I didn't know then what that meant but I had a feeling the whole thing was planned and we all fell right into it. Six months later the Patriots came barging down our doors and I knew it was them who did this. I'm sorry Jena, I'm so sorry because I know how much you don't want this to be true but it is."

Rachel reached over and brushed something wet from Jena's cheeks, she hadn't even realized she had been crying. Normally Jena would have jerked back and scowled at the intrusion but she felt frozen in place. She couldn't comprehend everything she had just heard and suddenly it felt as if the room was closing in on her. Her breathing quickened and she knew this was the beginning of one of her famous panic attacks. She had to get out of that room and away from Rachel now before it got any worse.

Jena gasped for air, which caused Miles and Rachel to close in unsure of what do but it just made things worse, "I...need...air" she got out between strained breaths before shoving Rachel aside and darting out of the barn at her unusually fast running speed.

"Shit." Miles muttered while getting ready to go after her but Rachel grabbed his arm.

"Don't, she's not going anywhere. She has nowhere to go." Rachel said her voice laced thick with sadness at her poor daughters predicament.

Miles simply nodded and took a sobbing Rachel into his arms.

Once Jena was a good fifty feet from the house she felt her breaths returning to normal. She sank down to her knees in the grassy field and looked down at her hands unsure of everything she had been told the past two years. It was all lies. She fought for one big stupid lie that the Patriots were going to save everyone. All they were doing was murdering people and culling the herd to make for the shiny perfect Americans they desired. What scared her more was how much did Andrew know? He was sent here a whole year before the Patriots came back to recruit, surely they must have told him to steer his armies clear of Atlanta and Philly before the nukes went off...

The little bit of food she had that morning made its way up her throat and were expelled in the grass next to her. She held back her short hair as her body continued retching but nothing would come out, as she was just as physically empty as she was emotionally.

The things she had done for them...the people she had killed...

Images of countless people sprang to life in her mind and more tears flowed down her face, "god, what the hell have I done?" She whispered to herself.

"Exactly what you thought you had to in order to survive" Monroe spoke from behind her but she didn't even jump at his sudden intrusion of her self-loathing. She didn't feel the usual hatred toward him either; actually she really didn't feel anything at all aside from shame. She just kept staring at the ground and hoping she would wake up from this nightmare of truth. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and she just sat sobbing in a field with her once pronounced greatest enemy standing three feet behind her.

She blew out a puff of air, leaned back on her hands, and stared up at the sky. Maybe the answer to all this bullshit would be up there. She knew it wouldn't but it didn't hurt to hope. Monroe sat down next to her and did the same but she paid him no mind so they just sat there together for a while. Eventually he fully laid back and rested his head in his hands but Jena hardly even noticed.

Finally she was the one to break the comfortable silence they had, "do you ever feel bad for all the awful things you've done?" She asked while keeping her gaze upward but shifting into the same position as him.

He chanced a glance over at her admiring her natural beauty and small slope of her tiny nose as he tried to think of an acceptable response that wouldn't make him sound like a complete asshole. Eventually, he simply settled on the truth, "no, I don't. I don't allow myself to feel that kind of remorse because I think it would consume me. I had a reason for everything I did and all of that eventually led me to finding my son. So, no I don't, I can't think about that, I guess I just don't have the time to" he said and returned his attention to the clouds above.

His answer both comforted and disgusted Jena and she couldn't figure out which feeling she disliked more. Her comfort came from the idea that maybe she wasn't all wrong and maybe she had done those things for the right reasons. On the other hand, she was disgusted that she could so simply justify her wrongs because in the end she was still alive and well. She found herself identifying with her former enemy far to closely and it once again turned her stomach, "well not all of us can be so unaccountable" she said in an angry, cold voice. She needed to cast the blame and anger somewhere.

"You asked, sunshine. Don't hate the devil because whether you like it or not he'll always be there just hate the choices that led you to him" he said as he started to get up and walk away.

"That completely contradicts everything you just said!" She shouted back at him.

"Only if you allow yourself to hate the person you turned in to" he called out over his shoulder and disappeared into the direction of the barn.

She turned around and scoffed, that damn idiot made no sense. He really bought into his own bullshit didn't he? Ugh, she shook her head in disgust and felt the sting of disappointment radiate throughout herself. Disappointment in herself, Andrew, and the whole damn Patriot army.

Jena allowed herself ten more minutes of self-pity but then trudged back to the stupid barn where her stupid confusing half family waited. She walked into the barn to the cautious glances of Charlie, Rachel, Miles, and Connor but Monroe looked as relaxed as could be with a smug grin on his face. She wanted to smack it off of him.

"Relax, I'm not going to start chucking knives any second. We all need to talk so let's get on with it." Jena said with her hands in the air.

"So you believe us now?" Miles said and relaxed into a chair at the far end of the room, it seemed that he was constantly trying to get as far away from her as possible as though she were some kind of feral animal.

Jena disliked admitting defeat and especially disliked apologizing but in this situation with Miles she was dead wrong, "it makes sense...sorry for throwing a pair of scissors at you" she shrugged and looked down at her feet.

"I'm pretty sure everyone here has either wanted or tried to stab me with scissors or really anything with a sharp point so you're forgiven. Now, what are you planning on doing?" He asked curious given how in the middle she was in all of this.

"I have to go back-" Jena started but was interrupted by Charlie.

"Absolutely not" she stated as if it were a fact.

Jena shot her an icy glare before continuing, "will you shut your damn mouth and let me finish?"

Charlie scoffed while Miles, Connor, and Bass raised their eyebrows. Rachel simply stood there unaffected, she had assumed the two wouldn't get along.

"Thank you," she continued, "I need to go back to clear some things up. When I said someone would come looking for me I wasn't bluffing and I need to set a couple of things straight with that person before I just take off." Jena tried to keep what she had to do as vague as possible, not wanting them to know she was going to see her general-of-a-small-Patriot-army boyfriend but she quickly saw she wouldn't get away with it.

"Little more detail would be nice" Charlie snapped.

Jena frowned at her, "I guess it's really none of your business" she snapped back and the two stared each other down, waiting for who would make the next move.

"Alright, alright look I love a cat fight just as much as the next guy but you two seriously need to relax" Monroe said and gave them each a hard look before continuing, "who you going to see Jena?"

Shit. She looked around the room, to the floor, the ceiling, everywhere except the expectant faces in front of her before conceding, "well he's kinda my boyfriend but he's also the general of the BR Patriot army..."

Everyone's eyes went wide except for Monroe who pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at her, "and you didn't think this was important to bring up before because?" He demanded in a probably the harshest tone she's heard him use since being here.

She suddenly became incredibly uncomfortable but all it did was fuel her anger towards him, "because it's none of your damn business!"

"Uh, yeah, it kinda is" Miles interjected, "if a general of a whole damn army is coming to look for someone we have I'd like to know about it."

"What's a BR army?" Connor asked.

"It stands for 'before recruit'; I'm part of a unit in Texas that was recruited before the bombs were dropped. About a little over a year ago Andrew came around to all of the rebel groups and told us the wonderful US of A was coming back and that they needed soldiers to help restore the country. After seeing what some dumb shit generals were doing to their people," she paused and threw an accusing look to Monroe, to which he rolled his eyes, "there were people lining out the door to join up."

"So you just figured you'd sleep with the guy in charge to get a better spot in your squadron, huh? Smart move." Monroe had a distaste toward her forming in his mouth and couldn't figure out why this sudden bit of information made him so hostile.

"Screw you, actually I fell in love with the guy" she threw back at him.

He scoffed and a snide smile appeared on his lips, "right..." He muttered.

Charlie stared down her idiot older half-sister and wondered what the hell was going on in her mind, "as touching as your story is I still don't get why the hell you're going right back to him. What's your plan?"

A pained sigh escaped Jena's lips and a sadness that she felt could have crippled a giant overtook her, "I need to know what he knows, if he's been lying to me, and if not then will he help me make things right?"

Monroe laughed humorlessly, "so your plan is to waltz right up to your general of psycho American army boyfriend, question him on whether he knew a genocide had occurred under his bosses orders, and then cling to some hope that he was innocent the whole time and will just run off into the sunset with you? Fantastic Jena, really, just foolproof, you know, it really is a wonder you've lasted this long."

Jena's temper was quickly running out. She had no obligation to explain herself to this asshole and was really getting sick of his know-it-all attitude, "you done? Or is there more to this pointless, obnoxious rant?" She demanded.

He threw his hands in the air and backed out to the entrance, "whatever, this sounds like a whole bunch of not my problem. Charlie, Connor, let's go. We're heading out to New Vegas, you have fun getting yourself killed." He turned around, kicked the barn door open, and stalked out.

"He always this much of an asshole?" Jena asked Miles and Rachel.

"Yeah" they both answer simultaneously and looked at each other smiling.

"Jena, what if he isn't all he seems and is more dedicated to the cause than you? What if he turns you in?" Rachel asked the question that had been burning in Jena's mind since she found out about all this.

She didn't want them to doubt him so she shrugged her shoulders, "then it's my fault for going back but I believe that he's a good man. I think he'll do the right thing."

Rachel formed a sad smile, "I hope so."

Jena applied ointment to her face and looked at her reflection in their small mirror. She looked like hell; her hair was knotted, disheveled, and almost resembled some type of frizzy golden afro. Her face was a whole 'nother story, with one of her eyes only able to open halfway, stitches in her cheek and eyebrow, and her lip split. How was she going to explain this to Andrew? She shook her head and marveled at the fact that she was consistently able to screw up the good things she had going on in her life and for what? A mother who didn't want her, a sister who hated her, and the murder-everyone-in-sight boys? Her idiocy never ceased to amaze her.

"You know, I have to thank you" Rachel spoke from the doorway behind her.

Jena sighed and turned to face the woman she simultaneously loathed and found herself needing to protect, "don't, I haven't done anything."

Rachel produced a half smile and took a seat in the chair next to her, "well, that's kind of the point I guess. You could have turned us in the moment you saw us but instead you gave me a chance. That's better than I ever gave you and I have to thank you for that."

Jena gave her a tight nod and turned toward her bag, which she was finishing packing up, "no problem."

Rachel's hand shot out and grabbed her arm, to her surprise though Jena didn't yank it back. A surge of emotion and a need to protect Jena tore through her and she worried that she might never see her again. "Jena, I'm so sorry…"

"Don't" Jena cut her off but still didn't move out from under Rachel's grip, "Don't do that, okay? I'm coming back and we can have this conversation then because trust me, we do need to have this conversation. Understand?" She said in a sharp tone that could have cut through glass but instead it did what she intended.

Rachel sat up a little taller, removed her hand, and wiped the tears from her eyes, "Okay, just come back."

"I will" Jena reassured her. She turned around, put a hand on Rachel's shoulder, and squeezed. It was a small gesture but it was enough to instill some hope in her sad, lost mother.

With that she grabbed her pack and exited the room but not without bumping into Miles first.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her aside, "If you're not back in forty-eight hours then I'm coming for you and I think you know my reputation well enough to know that I will find you by any means necessary." It was meant as more of a threat than a reassurance that he cared about her because of course, he didn't even know her.

She stared him down but nodded her head in defeat, "Alright then, forty-eight hours."

"Alright then" he simply responded and let her go.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi all! Thanks so much for reading! The reviews, follows, and favorites have been wonderful and the supportive nature of the Revolution community is just fantastic. Sorry this chapter took so long to get up, I had some exams this week, but I'm already well into working on more. Please keep the reviews up! I love to know how I'm doing and if readers think the story seems to be progressing well. I hope y'all are doing great and look forward to writing more Thanks!**

Stripes and Stars

Chapter 4 – The Hunter and The Liar

Two soldiers with rifles in hand stood at attention toward the entrance of the camp gates. Of course, she wouldn't have to sneak in but she shouldn't just waltz right up and demand for the doors to be thrown open in her presence. On the walk over she had decided she was going to tell everyone that she had been out hunting and got scooped up by some war clan that she'd never heard of. Seemed believable enough, right? Well, it had to be and she hoped Andrew wouldn't be able to see right through her although, the chances of that were abysmal.

She glanced in a small compact mirror she had stuffed away in her pack and examined the grotesque swelling over her eye. Her lip looked pretty gnarly as well but that was just what she wanted right now. Her face matched the story but not so much her outfit so she tore at the bottom of her shirt and ripped one of the tank top sleeves so that her top was hanging from one shoulder. A little more dirt in all the right places as well as mussing up her hair a bit more and she looked perfect. A sting of guilt shot through her for this blatant attempt of deception but she shoved it back down. Now wasn't the time for thinking, it was time for action.

With her backpack tightened around her back she took off running in the direction of the camp gates. She stumbled while running and threw herself on the ground. As she scrambled to get back up shouting commenced and she could almost feel the guns that were trained on her as she flailed forward.

"Stop! Stop right there or we'll shoot!" A familiar young patriot soldier barked at her. She looked up to catch his hard state and recognized him as Jim. He was probably all of about Charlie's age and always reminded Jena of one of those sweet boy-next-door types. She had helped train him before all of the horrible reprogramming camps cropped up.

He gasped and dropped his gun to the ground immediately, "wha- Jena?! Jesus Jena, what the hell? Help! Somebody help!" He yelled to his fellow soldiers.

With that alone Jena began to doubt Rachel and the traitors she took up in arms with. How could these people be so terrible? They had been more family to her in just the past year and a half alone than anyone in that barn had been her whole life. Doubt swam through her mind but she knew it was only there because she simply didn't want the accusations to be true, not because she was actually using her head. Thankfully her melancholy thoughts triggered tears to well up in her eyes and Jim mistook that for pain.

"It's alright darlin' we'll get ya to a medic as fast as our feet can take us there" he said in his strong southern drawl as he smoothed the matted hair out of her eyes.

Small acts of kindness always got to Jena and she choked up a bit more, "thank you, Jim" she just managed to croak out.

A female soldier named Nika slung an arm around her and helped Jim carry her to the medic tent. Nika was a full head taller than Jena, a model beautiful Hispanic warrior who could whip just about anyone's ass. They had become pretty good friends over the years and Jena saw the sadness in her eyes as Nika assumed the worst of what had happened to her friend over the past twenty-four hours.

"Don't worry, babe, we'll get em'" she said fiercely. God, Jena hoped not was all she thought but Nika's sentiment broke her heart a little more. Family, these people are my family, Jena thought, but here she was, just a big faker. She hated herself for fooling them and ruining more good relationships in her life. She hated herself for causing so much damage and tearing everything down like a goddamn tornado.

They dragged Jena into the medical tent and the doctor began tending to her injuries a bit too hurriedly. Once Andrew barged through the tent she understood why. He was fuming angry but there was also something else there that Jena was picking up on, it looked like desperation. His dark brown hair, which was always perfectly in place, was tousled and looked as if he had been violently running his fingers through it. He looked like he hadn't slept one bit with the dark circles that ringed his wild green eyes. His face was unshaven as well and he was wearing his uniform untucked and wrinkled. He ran up to Jena and all but shoved the doctor out of the way.

"Baby, baby, my god...are you okay? What happened?" He choked out.

Tears welled in Jena's eyes and she reached out to touch the scruffy face she loved so much, "I'm okay, shh, it's okay. I'm here and I'm fine, just a little banged up, ya know?" She said with a little laugh at the end.

He couldn't help but smile at his tough girl as he smoothed whispy blonde locks of hair away from her face. He stared into her eyes finding the hurt and self blame he so often found lying there and kissed her roughly on the lips pouring all of his desperation and fear that he would lose her onto them. Once he released her lips he pressed his forehead to her own and allowed the calming waves of relief to overtake him.

"It's okay babe, I'm really fine" she whispered as she ran her fingers soothingly down his back. He always loved this and seemed to relax just to her touch.

"I thought...I just thought..." He stammered as she rubbed his back.

"Hey," she pulled back and looked into his eyes, "I'm here, I'm alive, and I'm fine. Really, I am."

He took in a deep breath and looked down for a while before looking determinately into her eyes.

"Okay J, I need to know who this was, what exactly, down to the very last detail, they did to you, and where I can find them. I need this information now before they realize you've gotten away and move on."

Jena bit her lip and knew that this is the time she really had to sell it. She would save honesty for later but for now she needed him to be calm and to not go looking for any trouble.

"I don't know who it was, I'm sorry. Most of the time I was blindfolded and all they would say around me is that they want information. I'm sorry Andrew, I really don't know much of anything else." She sucked in an unsteady breath and looked at his face, hoping to see some kind of understanding or even defeat at how little she knew but all she saw there was anger.

He took a deep breath to steady himself and through gritted teeth growled out, "how did you escape? How many did you see? Men? Women? How far did you have to run to get here? What information did they want? What did you tell them?!" He yelled the last part, quickly coming unhinged at his lack of knowledge of what went on with the woman he loved over the past 24 hours.

"Andrew! Andrew, it's okay, it's ok-" she tried to calm him down but clearly it was having no effect.

"No it isn't!" He shouted and the hairs on Jena's neck stood up.

"Okay! Okay," she said in defeat as she put her hands up, "they caught me in woods, you know how I like to hunt, and I was just so focused on what I was doing I didn't hear the man sneak up on me." She paused to gauge his reaction but he seemed to be silently fuming.

"He kicked my legs out from under me, tied my wrists, and blindfolded me" she said while holding up her wrists for him to see the cuts and marks from the rope Charlie had tied her to the chair with. He looked down at his hands and shook his head, trying to reign in his temper.

"Go on," he gritted out.

"Right, well, then we walked for a while. I was so scared I don't remember exactly how long, I was just trying to think of a way to get away, you know?" She cleared her throat in his silence before continuing, "well, he brought me to a camp and tied me to a tree. I was still blindfolded so I couldn't see how many there were. After a couple hours another man dragged me a little ways away from the camp to question me. They asked what the Patriots were planning, where we were expanding to, what we were doing to the other war clans. I gave them nothing, that's how I got all this" she said gesturing toward her face.

"And then-" she started but was abruptly interrupted by Andrew.

"What did he look like? The two of them, the one who captured you and the one who tortured you?" He said deadly calm.

Shit, why didn't she think that out before going on with her story, "umm, well, one of them had like darker hair, he was about your height, and uhh, I guess a bit over weight" she was pulling this out of her ass and praying he wouldn't catch on to her unease.

"And umm, the other one was kinda blondish, fit build, scary looking face with a bunch of scars. That's the one who tortured me." She said while nodding her head but all Andrew did was stare at her.

"Umm, then I guess they realized I wasn't giving anything up so they knocked me out. The next thing I know I'm being carried in a wagon but I was on my own in the trailer, so I jumped off and just ran like hell" she said not knowing what else to say about the situation.

Andrew was eerily quiet and continued to stare at her. Jena was growing more and more uncomfortable at this intrusion because she absolutely hated when people stared at her.

"Andrew say something," she begged as she reached out to touch his face but he pulled away. The sting of rejection smacked her clear across the face and she sat in shook of his dismissal toward her.

"You aren't telling me something and I can't help you if you aren't honest with me" was all he said before he stood up and walked quickly out the room.

Her heart quickened and she knew in that instant he didn't by it but that wasn't what alarmed her the most. It was how he went from furious to scarily calm so quickly. Almost like he already knew something was up and was just seeing if she would lie to him or not. Of course, there's no way that's possible but she decided she had to know more.

She quietly tried to tie on her boots when a burst of men carrying a wounded Patriot came barging in. She wanted to know what had happened but thought instead to use the diversion to her advantage. Slipping out the back opening of the tent she found it odd that she felt the need to sneak around a place she once called home but she wanted answers. Andrew's office! That's where she would go, if caught she would just say she was looking for him, it's not like she hadn't shown up there as a pleasant surprise before.

She walked carefully but calmly as to avoid suspicion from the several other officers but all she received were respectful nods and kind words to feel better to which she responded with sincere thank yous. Finally, she was almost to Andrew's office when a new face popped out of the opening of his tent.

Well, not all that new unfortunately. Neville, he had only been here a week and Jena couldn't stomach the sight of him.

"Ms. Mason, out for a walk on this lovely night?" He asked in that falsely pleasant tone he liked to tote around. She didn't buy into his crap for a single second.

"It's Officer Mason to you" She demanded with the uppity tone one gets being the girlfriend of one of the more powerful generals of the Patriot army.

Neville's fake smile slid off his face for just a second before returning, "and where are you headed tonight, Officer Mason?"

"A little place called none of your business." She shot at him before trying to shoulder past but was yanked back by a forceful tug on her upper arm. Who the hell did this guy think he was?! She opened her mouth to yell a string of obscenities but was cut off by the snake in front of her.

"Officer Mason, it is actually my business as I have been instructed to make sure you get back to your tent safely tonight." With this the fake attitude of respect and kindness slid away and instead a cold lifeless expression took its place. People weren't kidding when they said this guy was a manipulative psychopath. Andrew had warned her to stay away from him yet now she's under his watch? She knew exactly what this was, a play by him to let her know he knew she wasn't being honest and that he wouldn't stand for it.

Her nostrils flared in anger and she pursed her lips together, "you let me go right now or I will cut your hands off in your sleep" she demanded in a cold deadly voice.

Neville raised his eyebrows and stated calmly, "as you wish but I'm warning you girl, you're not going to like what you hear in there." And with that he simply walked away leaving her dumbfounded and momentarily frozen in place.

She whispered over her shoulder, "anyone asks, I hurt your hand badly and threatened to kill you if you wouldn't let me pass."

"Goodnight Ms. Mason." He called back as he walked away.

Jena turned around to walk the rest of the way to the opening of the tent but stopped at the sound of voices. There was an argument going on in hushed tones but she couldn't make out what they were saying. She managed to get around to the back of the tent closer to where Andrew and the other man who she was pretty sure was Doyle speaking.

"If she knows where they are then you need to take her in-"

"Absolutely not!" Andrew whisper shouted at him.

"Then what do you propose we do? You've only known the girl a year, maybe two, and you're willing to just trust her on this?" Doyle growled back.

"What do you expect me to do? Maybe she is telling the truth! You didn't see the look in her eyes as she told me what happened! She's in shock and scared, give her a couple days to come back from this and she'll probably have more detail." Andrew was almost begging on her behalf and it pained her to hear him fighting for her lie.

"You are a fool. How could you let this happen?!" He yelled at Andrew beginning to get louder.

Andrew scoffed, "what did you want me to do? Lock her in her room? She's an officer here with the same privileges as the rest; she can go take a damn walk-"

"God you really are stupid, aren't you? I don't mean let her get "kidnapped" if that's even what happened! I mean let her get under your skin this much! You had a job, General Cole!" He spit out Andrew's title with disgust as if he had eaten something rancid.

"You had one job with the little bitch and that was to keep the daughter of Rachel Matheson at our side at all times!"

The sounds of a scuffle going on leaked through the thin tent walls, probably because Doyle had called Jena a bitch but she heard hardly any of it. She felt as if her world had been completely flipped on its side. She stumbled over and collapsed to her knees. The world spun around her as if she had too much to drink but all it was just too much truth in too little of a time span. Her skin felt way too cold and she thought she might throw up.

"Now is not the time for this Jena, think later, act now," she whispered to her self before violently wiping the tears from her face. She stood up and inched closer to the tent to get more intel on her own life.

"That's it, no more protection for your precious little Jena. Interrogations start tomorrow and we are striking a deal with Matheson to turn Miles and Monroe in. I don't care if we have to cut body parts off one at a time and send them to that bitch but this is done! That is an order!" Doyle yelled before storming out of the tent.

Thankfully she was hidden by the dark but she heard Andrew's thrashing around and the destruction of things in his office. That liar! She fumed but pushed down the stabbing feeling of betrayal once more before her mind began to go into planning overdrive. She ran as quickly as she could to her and Andrew's tent, she needed three things, her gun, some clean clothes, and her small flimsy photo album.

As quick as she could she gathered all of her necessities into an all ready pretty well stocked pack but put her gun in the back of waistband of her jeans. She knew exactly what she was going to do and it started with Andrew, she had to confront him.

Quietly, she tiptoed into Andrew's office while he sat at his desk with his head in his hands. He was running his fingers through his hair and pulling at the ends like he always did when stressed so he didn't even notice her as she slunk in through the opening.

The cool metal of her gun tingled Jena's fingers as she wrapped her hand around it and aimed straight at the man she loved. She cleared her throat and Andrew's head shot up. His eyes widened in surprised as he took in a side of his girlfriend that he never thought would be aimed at him. Her ruthless side.

"Babe, what are you doing?" He asked, trying to stay calm but he knew the stories about who Jena once was and what exactly she's capable of. He never thought of her as the scariest person he had ever known but she was definitely the deadliest. Then again, he'd never been on this side of her gun.

"Put your hands on your head, where I can see them" she said in a voice that frightened him because it was drained of any and all emotion. It was then he realized she knew.

"J, let me just expla-" he started but was abruptly cut off.

"There are very few things that I actually want to hear from you and an explanation of how you've been lying to me for almost two years is not one of them." Her cold detachment was beginning to make Andrew shift nervously in his seat; she had never been this way with him before.

"Did you kill Neville?" he asked as calm as he could manage, wary of what her answer may be.

She let out a small laugh before cocking her head to one side, "oh you'd be so lucky but no, I didn't."

"Babe-"

"Shut your mouth. I have a couple questions before I gotta cut out of here because apparently I'm going to be tortured by my own men tomorrow" she stopped him again.

"You can't leave," he rasped out which elicited a humorless laugh from her.

"You don't tell me what to do, see, that's not how this is going to work" she said with a small smile before continuing, "first off, how did you find out about me?"

He realized playing dumb wasn't going to get him anywhere with her, she was too smart for that. So he finally told the truth, "I was ordered by my commanding officer back in Cuba that I was to go back to the US and start up an army. I had to keep them out of the limelight, just scoop up some of the way too quickly dying out rebel groups and keep them alive until everyone came back. That was my primary mission and was only to become my secondary if I found you." He paused to try to gauge her reaction but got nothing from the unmoved expression on her face.

"Go on" she demanded.

"Right, well," he cleared his throat before continuing, "they told me where to look, said they had some intel that you were involved with the rebels in the Monroe Republic so that's where I started. It was difficult at first, once I asked around for a Jena Mason...well let's just say your reputation made people a little uneasy about giving you up but for the right price people could even be persuaded to give up The Carver." He stopped again gauging her reaction at his use of the horrible nickname that was once given to her.

She winced at the reminder of her brutal past life but motioned for him to continue. A small reminiscent smile graced the full lips that Jena used to not be able to stop kissing and her heart felt like it skipped a beat.

"I remember the first time I saw you," he said with a laugh while looking away from her, lost in a happy memory. "You just were so...I don't know I guess tiny and just...beautiful. I feel bad admitting that I kind of expected some hulk looking psychopath chick but there you were with your adorable short blonde hair and that sexy red tank top, you know, the one I used to love."

She shifted to her other leg and sucked a breath in, remembering the first time they had met as well. Of course, she didn't like him at first. She never liked anyone.

"But then, god, you opened your mouth and just started cursing and barking out orders. And they all listened to you! They scurried around you because they were all afraid of you." He laughed again but became instantly serious when the realization hit him; "I immediately fell in love with you. I didn't know it then but I guess it's blatantly obvious now. I wouldn't let them touch you, no deals, no interrogations, I kept telling them you would be useful and that you didn't know anything about Rachel Matheson's plans. Because I was doing so well gathering troops, especially with you by my side, they believed me and no harm came to you."

"Shut up" she gritted out, finding herself on the verge of tears. She loved this man and for good reason but that didn't change the fact that he was a liar. She had to know the rest even though every bit of his confession was shredding her heart.

"Did you know about the bombs?" She asked, choking back any emotion that was threatening to rise up, "three weeks before the bombs we had some bullshit relocation mission to some middle of nowhere town. We had to get all the rebels together because we were planning an 'attack'. God, Andrew, you knew my mom was in Philly!" She gritted out as tears spilled out of her eyes but she made no attempt to wipe them away. She wanted him to see how much this destroyed her.

Andrew's mouth dropped open but Jena soon realized that it was not in shock but in guilt. She knew the second his eyes began to well up that what Rachel had said was true. She used the hand that she wasn't holding the gun with to hold her chest as it felt like it had just been ripped open.

"You son of a bitch," she whispered around unshed tears.

"Jena, I had no choice," he begged for her to understand but knew there was no use. "Babe-"

"Don't call me that!" She screamed unable to contain her distaste for a pet name she once adored.

He held his hands up higher sensing her unraveling and didn't want to give her a reason to shoot. "Jena, I'm so sorry, I had no choice. I wanted to tell you so bad so you could go back for your mom but I didn't know when or even how it was going to happen, I just knew it would. I couldn't risk you running in there on some insane rescue mission to save Clara and possibly end up losing you to the bombings or the multiple warrants out for your arrest! I couldn't risk it for the mission and I couldn't risk it because I love you!"

She had heard enough and quickly circled his desk so that she was standing right in front of him with her gun maybe a foot from his forehead.

"Andrew," she started as her lip quivered and her heart beat wildly inside her chest, "because I love you, I'm going to give you this one chance, you know the stories about me and honey, they are all true. You know what I'm capable of and if I ever see you again I will make the last days of your miserable life unbearable until you are begging me to slit your throat" she promised.

"Babe, please," he choked out but was abruptly cut off by a hard blow to his head by the butt of Jena's gun.

As she stood before him and took in his slumped over, unconscious form the gravity of his betrayal overtook her. Because of him she couldn't go back into Philly and save the woman who adopted her, the woman who she had called mom her whole life.

A loud, choked, sob strained out of her throat as tears streaked down her cheeks. Damn him! She angrily thought to herself. Of all the people who had hurt or betrayed her, this felt like the worst one because he had made her love him and that's the worst trick of all.

"Damn you," she whispered giving him one last glance hoping that would be the last time she would ever see him before backing away and darting out of the tent.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone! So, this chapter is a bit long but I love going into dialogue between all the characters more than anything else so I hope you enjoy. Also, keep rating! I love hearing what everyone has to say and suggestions are more than welcome. I'd like to know if people want more romance or action and also if there are any relationships that people think I should work on a bit more. Big shout outs to ToWriteForLove, Lady Claire Monore, XOXOSorry-I-Dont-Do-DrugsXOXO, and Helen, y'all are awesome for the reviews! Thanks so much! **

Stripes and Stars

Chapter 5 – The Lost and Found

Jena managed to get back out of the camp pretty uneventfully. After she knocked Andrew out and fled the scene the robotic part of her took over. Of the four different escape routes she worked out, simply cutting the fence with a wire cutter and then slinking through seemed easiest. It's the decisions after she left that she found the hardest. Where the hell was she going to go?

She had to be back to Rachel and Miles in less that 48 hours but what would she do after that. She felt truly alone again and was scared that she would turn into the monster she used to be to stay alive. 

No, hell no. Even the mention of her former nickname, which used to be scrawled on wanted posters all over the Monroe Republic, made her stomach churn. 

"The Carver," Jena scoffed as she thought to herself, "couldn't they pick a better name?" Even though it was fairly accurate...

Whatever, she didn't want to think about that now. Thankfully there were hardly any descriptions of what The Carver looked like so not many could match the nickname to her face. It didn't seem that even Monroe recognized her and there was a time when the price over her head was more than just a handful of diamonds. So her identity was safe for now.

Still though, where would she go? She supposed the answer was obvious, right back to Rachel but would they attempt to keep her there as some kind of prisoner or something? Cause that was not going to fly. Jena would take off into the wild on her own again before subjecting herself to taking more orders from people she shouldn't trust.

Andrew kept popping into her head while she walked causing random violent outbursts, which she took out on rocks and trees around her. She was kicking and stomping around like a giant baby. It wasn't until the sun started to rise around her that she realized she had backtracked right back to the barn.

Letting out a long sigh she continued forward and dragged her feet all the way to the door. When she got there Miles was the first person who spotted her. He was keeping watch in the fields and abruptly stood up to aim his gun at her.

"What's the verdict? Here to throw more knives at us?" He quipped and threw in a sarcastic half smile to top it off. 

"You know exactly why I am here" she said sounding defeated. 

"I'm sorry kid. You know, I do wish that I wasn't right. This was all a hell of a lot easier when Bass was the only bastard we had to worry about" he said while lowering his gun. 

He sat down continuing his watch and instead of walking into the barn to find Rachel, Jena instead decided to try to learn a little bit more about Miles.

She plopped down next to him and struggled to search for conversation at first, "so...why'd you leave?"

He laughed bitterly before glancing over at her and shrugging, deciding that lying wasn't really worth it at this point, "Bass went nuts, I mean common, everyone knew it. Where were you around that time?"

She shifted not wanting to answer that question because that was when The Carver was in her heyday. 

"Around...taking care of myself. My mom, the woman who adopted me, was living in Philly at the time though. She got a letter to me and told me how much worse the poorer areas of the city had gotten once you left. It was as if Monroe just couldn't care less about protecting his people anymore, he only cared about finding his boyfriend." She added a laugh and glanced over to him to see that he was not amused.

"Yeah, oh trust me, I've heard from plenty of people that things went to shit but uhh mom? Your mom lived in Philly?" The unspoken question that floated in the air began to become oppressive and weighed down on each of them. 

"Yes and she also died when the bombs were dropped. I'm assuming that's what you're asking?" Jena looked away and fumbled with the zipper on her jacket, she never really did allow herself the time needed to mourn her mom's death. 

Miles cleared his throat and shifted his sitting position, clearly uncomfortable with the weight of their conversation. 

"Explains a lot, how angry you were with us at first. All the hostility and...the knife throwing. I get it." He stated before adding, "Rachel's been worried sick since you left, saying she doesn't think you'll come back, or whatever. Go talk to her, will ya?"

Jena took that as her cue and nodded her head in understanding, "sorry I threw a knife at you." 

She stood to walk away but gave Miles another glance when he laughed.

"Happens all the time," he waved it off and she managed to crack a smile before walking back toward the barn.

She opened the cellar door and walked down welcoming the cool air that awaited her. Her cuts and bruises immediately felt a little better and she gently touched the swollen areas on her face. She pulled her hand away abruptly when she felt a sharp sting on her cheek and realized one of the stitches must have come open. Oh well, she had endured much worse pain before.

Rachel walked out of the back room and almost jumped out of her skin.

"Jena!" She said with a start and throwing her hand to her chest, "you're back! I didn't think it would be so soon." 

"I can go back if you'd like" Jena quipped sarcastically but Rachel shook her head.

"That's not what I meant," she said and looked down at her feet before meeting Jena's eyes once again. "I was scared you wouldn't come back at all."

"Well, Rachel, if you remember correctly I'm not the one who bails" Jena deadpanned, unable to hold the resentment toward Rachel down. 

Rachel looked away again and rubbed her arms as if she were cold but wouldn't come back to meet Jena's hard stare. Her eyes began to well up and Jena immediately regretted being such a bitch. 

"Look, I'm sorry, that was...uncalled for. It's just been a tough twenty four hours, you know?" Jena said in the softest voice she could manage. She took a step forward and reached her arm out to touch Rachel but then thought better of it and withdrew. "This is all going to take some time, okay? Just be patient with me and I'll be patient with you. As long as we can keep that understanding I think we'll be fine." 

Rachel looked up at this and found sincerity in her daughters eyes. Dark eyes that so resembled a man Rachel would have once given everything to. A man who had caused her to make the biggest mistake of her life. She always knew getting rid of Jena the way she did would haunt her and it did for the rest of her life. She produced a sad smile and nodded her head, "let me stitch that back up for you" she said gesturing to Jena's cheek.

"Thanks," was her reply and she sat on the nearest table trying to be a good patient.

After Rachel stitched her up she offered to take the next watch but Rachel assured her Miles would be out there for a while. Jena shrugged but gladly accepted the opportunity for rest and knocked out on one of the cots.

Sometime in the early morning hours Jena awoke and relieved Miles of his watch duty. She could tell he didn't trust her but eventually exhaustion took over and he gave in. He then mumbled, grumbled, and dragged his ass back into the barn while she sat outside rifle in hand. She began thinking about all the ways in which this could turn out. Would she have to fight the Patriots? Her friends? People she considered family? Would she have to fight Andrew? Jena didn't know if she could bear that last part. The biggest question though was, could she trust these people?

They may not have been responsible for probably the most heinous crime since the blackout because they didn't drop the bombs but it was no secret who these people were. Monroe and Miles were two of the most ruthless generals out of all the factions. Now who the hell were they? Rachel seemed like she could at least trust Miles but then again she didn't seem like the sanest person in the group. The only person in the whole joint that Jena thought might have a shot at gaining her trust was Charlie, who she absolutely detested at this point.

She watched the sun rise over the field and forest in front of her and marveled at how the light seemed to pour over this shitty world and cover it in a wonderful golden hue. Jena always loved the outdoors and nature always could soothe her. It was the times in her life when a beautiful sunrise did nothing for her that she feared the most because in those moments she was so immersed in darkness that not even the most honest beauty in the world could draw her out.

4 Days Later

"They should have been back by now," Rachel worried as she stared into the forest where she last saw her youngest daughter. She unknowingly paced in a circle around Jena rubbing her arms and muttering to herself.

"Helloooo, earth to crazy lady-" Jena started but was cut off by a very pissed off looking Rachel.

"I am not crazy!" Rachel shouted and shot a finger out pointing at her. 

"Wow, imagine if you said that without shouting," Jena grumbled and rolled her eyes. 

Rachel laughed humorlessly, "you really don't get it, do you?" she asked incredulously before continuing, "or is it just that you don't care? I let my daughter go off with that monster and his Mexican Mini-me on a mission that we all knew was insane! Monroe doesn't care about anyone, except for maybe Connor, and I let Charlie go off with them! Do you have any idea what could have happened?! I wouldn't be surprised if he simply tried to sell her in order to get men on his side!" she shouted and put her face in her hands. 

Jena rolled her eyes again, quickly getting sick of Rachel's constant self-blame and thinking everything is her fault. She may have ended the world but not EVERYTHING was her fault.

"Will you just relax, Jesus, and stop circling me like a damn shark." Jena rounded on her and leveled her with a hard look.

Rachel opened her mouth continue arguing but this simply elicited a groan from Jena, "Rachel! Stop it, just stop, you have been out here all more pacing and whining and just pissing me off! They are coming back! There was probably just some kind of hiccup in their plan but because there are no cell phones, or payphones, or even a goddamn tin can that they could use to get in touch with you, you just don't know, okay?! Furthermore, Monroe isn't going to screw Charlie over because he knows Miles will cut off all his appendages and make him eat them if anything happens to her! So just shut up, okay?!"

Even Jena was a bit surprised by her own outburst but Rachel just stood there with her mouth open staring at her ruthless daughter. How could she be so insensitive, Rachel thought, what the hell is wrong with this girl? She had made up her mind though mid rant and announced, "I'm going after them." She then whipped around and started determinedly toward the barn to gather supplies.

Jena stomped after her and yelled, "no you aren't" UGHHH she groaned again. What the hell is wrong with this woman!?

Even Miles was quickly getting sick of their non-stop bickering and was constantly trying to find excuses to stay away from the both of them. While rubbing his temples as the two women barged into the barn he grumbled out, "What now? What could it possibly be NOW?"

Rachel stomped right to her pack and began throwing in a bunch of random supplies. She refused to answer Miles because she had decided at some point in the past ten minutes that she no longer had to explain herself anymore. She wasn't a damn child and she was most certainly not crazy anymore. 

Jena produced another one of her quickly becoming famous eye rolls and Miles just about wanted to tear his hair out. 

"Annie Oakley over here decided she's gonna go find Charlie, take out all the bad guys, and you know just swoop on in for a big ol' rescue mission." Explained Jena casually, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Rachel produced a humorless laugh and shook her head but said nothing as she continued packing. 

"Wait, what? No, you're not doing that." Miles said. 

"Don't tell me what to do," Rachel spit back. She hated how Miles thought he could tell her what to do, regardless of their...situation. 

"Uhh well you're not going. We are supposed to wait here till they get back and not do anything stupid. I thought that was the plan?" Miles said as he began losing his patience. 

"The plan is," Rachel shouted but in an effort to seem less insane quieted her voice, "I am going to get Charlie because we never should have trusted her with that bastard in the first place" 

"Will you just hold on a second?" Miles asked as he reached out and grabbed her arm. 

She leveled him with a threatening look and tilted her head to the side in almost a challenge. Jena scoffed and turned around ready to leave them to their bickering when Miles stopped her too. 

"Both of you just hear me out. Something's going on at the quarantine camps. They're changing it into something else but I don't know what it is yet." Miles said thoughtfully. 

"Why is this important?" Jena shot at him before continuing, "what does it matter? They're probably just trying to set up more of a hospital atmosphere or figure out a better way to handle the patients so more people don't get sick. So, who cares?" She put her hands on her hips and waited for Miles to suggest bombing the place or something equally ridiculous but was met with states that screamed 'are you a dumb ass?'. 

"What?" Jena said a little uneasy now and threw her hands to her sides. 

"You really have no idea who you were working for? How could you be so stupid?" Rachel said in amazement, wondering how they had so successfully brainwashed her daughter. 

"Screw you-" Jena began shouting but was cut off by Miles. 

"Patriots got everyone sick." He stated matter-of-factly to which Jena began laughing. 

"You're kidding me, right? You really expect me to believe that they got everyone sick? Their own people, who by the way were good people!" Jena found herself shouting hysterically as the weight of truth came crushing down on her again. No, she couldn't believe this; this had to be a lie. 

"Kid, calm down, okay? It happened, I thought you knew but I'm sorry, it's the truth." Miles came towards her with her hands up but she just continued to glare hatefully his way. 

The Patriots wouldn't do this, there was no way. How could they murder their own people and countless other innocents. She had lost friends to the typhus plague that ran rampant through their camp. Upper level generals, lower level new recruits, you name it, killed by a disease. Not by people. The more she turned it over in her mind the more she found it making sense and it tore her to pieces. It was the good ones typhus took, the ones who still had morale, the ones who protested the more heartless tasks they were sometimes given. How could she not see it? How could she be so stupid? But even worse, how could Andrew do this? 

Her hatred for the Patriots grew but to her surprise so did her hatred towards Rachel. The more she looked at her the more she felt she was going to be sick right there on the floor. She had to get away and fast. 

"You two do what you have to do," she growled out, "I'm going to go find Charlie." With that she stormed out grabbing the fully stocked pack that she kept by the door incase she had to run out at a moments notice. 

Rachel stared after her and felt frozen in place, how many more times would she hurt her daughter? 

"That coulda gone better," Miles said sarcastically which drew a sidelong glance from Rachel. 

"Ya think?" She asked before shaking her head and continuing packing. 

"Uh, Rachel, what are you doing?" Miles asked with an infliction of annoyance in his voice. 

"I'm going after her before she does something stupid. How do we even know she's going after Charlie anyways?" Rachel said matter-of-factly as if she were talking to an idiot. 

"Oh, she is and I think you need to let her do this alone. Let her cool off, she needs this." Miles responded becoming more and more annoyed with this conversation. 

"Jesus, Miles, you hardly know the girl and all of a sudden you have good judgment on what she needs or doesn't need? You really are just amazing the way you can spin everything to make it seem like you still have a handle on things." Rachel spit out and shoved him away from her. 

At this point Miles had had enough of her antics and completely lost it. He grabbed both her arms to force her in front of him and yelled, "I don't have a handle on any of this! I wish I did but obviously if I'm being stupid enough to trust Bass, then I don't! But you and friggen Jena running around bickering and throwing around snarky comments is definitely not helping! So let her go and give her time before she says to hell with all of us and just takes off!" He let her go abruptly and she stumbled back a bit. 

Her eyes welled up with tears and she choked out a soggy, "I'm sorry... I- I just don't know- how the hell..." She began making excuses and throwing herself through her self-hatred when Miles stomped right up to her and put his finger in her face. 

"Stop with the 'everything is my fault' bullshit because I'm really sick of hearing it." With that he walked away and grabbed his sword, "let's go, we're checking out the quarantine camp," he said before following in Jena's bratty footsteps and stomping outside. Rachel couldn't help but shake her head at how moody the two were.

6 hours later  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jena skillfully evaded every broken branch and crunchy leaf as she preoccupied her mind with being silent. She had been at this for six hours and her body was begging for a reprieve but she refused it. She couldn't stop; she couldn't allow her self to think about the depth of Andrew's betrayal without keeling over and dry heaving. So she had to continue on. 

Another hour had gone by and soon she would run out of daylight and be forced to stop. Just as she rounded on an area that seemed safe enough to rest for the night she heard the crunch of leaves and branches under a heavy foot. It was a man, not just one man but many of them. She scaled the nearest tree and tried to get a look of them from her perch but was thwarted by the leafy trees surrounding them. She silenced her breathing the best she could and quietly climbed down hoping to catch the man wandering farthest from the group off guard. 

She quietly snuck up behind him, put her knife to his throat, and whispered in his ear, "Make any noise or move any muscle and I will kill you." 

The man put his hands up and she thought she heard him stifle a laugh, which fueled her anger even more. She wanted nothing more than to kill him, cover her tracks, and get away but she was done killing people for no reason at all other than they _might_ be a threat. 

She turned the man around, pursed her lips, and dropped her knife from his neck, while rolling her eyes. 

"We gotta stop meeting like this," Monroe said with a chuckle before adding, "surprise!" And waving his fingers in the air. 

"You're an idiot," Jena deadpanned but then remembered what her real mission was. "Where is Charlie?" She demanded in her no games tone. 

"Right here," yelled Charlie from behind Jena, followed by about five men and Connor in the distance. She caught the look of longing in his eyes directed at Charlie and Jena wondered what the hell had gone down on the trip to New Vegas. 

She looked at Charlie and raised her eyebrows at her disheveled appearance. Her clothes were a mess of blood and dirt and her hair looked like a rats nest. Jena made a face of distaste and said, "Well you look like shit." 

Charlie narrowed her eyes and responded with a tilt of her head, "Nice to see you too, now what the hell are you doing all the way out here." 

"Looking for you. Rachel started to go batshit and was going to come stomping through the forest to find you but I figured it would be better if I came instead." Jena would leave out the part about her needing to get away in light of the horrifying news that her boyfriend sat by and watched her friends be diseased and killed. Charlie didn't need to hear any more about how foolish Jena had been because honestly at this point it was beginning to embarrass her. 

"Thanks for the grand rescue but we're fine." Charlie said draped in her usual pissy attitude. 

Jena took in the three of them and determined that they actually had been in some kind of trouble. Monroe looked like absolute hell with cuts decorating his face and large bruises beginning to purple all over him. Connor looked just as great but what pissed Jena off the most were the red and purple welts around Charlie's wrists. 

"Why were you cuffed?" She demanded and stomped over to Charlie to examine her wrists. Of course, Charlie yanked her wrists out of Jena's hands and took a step back. 

"What do you care? I handled it." Charlie snapped at her. 

Jena winced from Charlie's sharpness with her and took a step back quickly to recover herself. "Just making sure you don't do something stupid like get it infected" she said defensively and walked away. She quickly became embarrassed about her outburst of caring. She hardly knew the little brat but for some reason whenever she saw Charlie hurt she felt a surge of protectiveness overtake her. Jena supposed it was because she really didn't have anyone close to her anymore. 

Charlie sighed and dropped her head, feeling a little bad about her outburst. She hadn't meant to snap at her but for some reason couldn't hold back this anger she harbored toward Jena.

Monroe looked at her with disgust and quipped, "And here I thought you would actually be happy about getting another sibling."

"That coming from the guy who killed my last one." Charlie spit back at him.

She started to go after Jena but he stepped in her way, "Don't, okay? You have no idea what she's going through right now." 

"Oh and you do?" She asked him incredulously. 

"Losing everyone I care about and having the others leave or hate me, yeah I might know something about that." He referenced his family's tragic death but of course Charlie knew nothing about that and simply thought he was referring to when Miles left him. 

"Wait, remind me, wasn't that your fault?" She asked sarcastically. 

He bit down his anger and turned a dark look in her direction, "Why don't you mind your damn business and just go screw around with my son some more?" 

Charlie threw him an acidic look and walked away. The hostility in that girl is just amazing he thought. With that he sighed and followed after Jena who was a good distance away setting up camp. She was setting up a sleeping bag and rummaging around in her bag when she drew her hand out quickly and cursed under her breath. 

"Got more knives stashed in there we should know about?" Monroe asked jokingly. 

"Or just something as simply as pulling my nail back," she shot at him all full of attitude as usual. 

"Need a Band-Aid, sunshine?" He asked with a light tone still in his voice regardless of her hostility. Damn what was up with the women in Rachel's bloodline? 

She went to glare up at him but stopped and took in his ruffled curly blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, and cocky half smile that lit up his face. He looked adorable she thought but then quickly stifled that down. What the hell was she thinking? Maybe mass murderer really is her type. This realization made her frown and continue on her task of fishing the bottle of whiskey out of her bag. 

"Hey," Monroe said and crouched down to look her in the eyes but she refused to look up. "Jena, what's the matter?" 

She chanced a look up and saw concern in his eyes, whether it was real or fake she decided not to speculate. "Oh nothing, my ex is just a monster, my mother's insane, and my half sister is a little bitch. Can't trust or rely on absolutely anyone so, you know, typical Tuesday in the life of Jena Mason." The words tumbled so quickly out of her mouth that she barely had time to stop her self.

He was quiet for a few moments looking at her with sadness in his eyes but put that to the side, "Hmm...ex, you say?" 

She couldn't help but laugh, "Really? That's all you got out of that?" She laughed again and pulled out her bottle of emergency whiskey. Andrew always hated how much she drank but screw him! She was determined to kill the rest of that bottle before sunrise. 

Monroe's eyebrows rose as she grinned at him and took a big sip. She was far past the age of wincing as it went down a little rough; instead she now savored its burn. It took away any other pain she was feeling so it almost became delightful. Monroe tried to suppress his smile but when she shoved the bottle his way but he couldn't hold it in any longer. 

"You really are related to this family," he said as he laughed and took a large swig himself. 

He went to pass it back to her but she held her hand up "No way General Monroe, you better take another sip cause we're killing that tonight." 

"Oh really?" He asked in mock surprise, "cause as fun as that sounds I really don't want to be holding your hair back in an hour like some sorority girl," he added with a chuckle and took another large drink before handing it to Jena. 

"Don't you worry about that, Monroe because aside from the fact that I would never even let you touch my hair, this isn't my first rodeo," she said as she slammed the bottle back once again in her determination to forget about plagues, Andrew, and her lost friends.

Monroe chuckled and mumbled under his breath, "Never say never." 

Jena was laughing loudly at Monroe's failed attempt to sit back down gracefully. Instead of landing on his butt he tripped over his own feet, stumbled, and landed on his back. This whiskey was really taking its toll on the two of them as there was only about one or two sips left in the bottle. 

Charlie stomped over and glared at them, "Will you two shut up! You're alerting the while damn forest as to where we are!" She whisper shouted at them. 

"Oh common little sister, lighten up" Jena laughed as she tossed the bottle at Charlie's feet. 

Monroe patted the a seat next to him and got very serious, "Charlie, we would be honored if you shared this drink with us." He broke out into fits of laughter and Jena joined in. He tried to regain his composure and be serious again but his laughter kept breaking through, "Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?" He said and clasped his hands together while sticking out his bottom lip. 

Jena was holding her stomach in pain from laughing so much and just barely got out, "You look like a giant baby with your curly hair and stuck out lip." Tears were stinging her eyes from laughing so much and soon Monroe followed suit. 

"Me? You're one to talk, what are you 5'2? I think you're the tiniest one here." Monroe shot back as he nudged her arm. 

Jena dropped her jaw in mock offense and responded, "I'm 5'5 and a half, thank you very much! 

"Don't forget that half, makes a world of a difference," he said and was met by a punch on his arm. 

Charlie was staring down Jena and quickly becoming even more annoyed at the two of them. She didn't like where this looked to be heading. "Why don't you two sleep it off and stop waking everyone in a damn three mile radius because if someone comes and kills you in the middle of the night it's not going to be my fault or problem." And with that she stomped back to her camp, which Jena and Monroe had made a good effort to stay away from. 

"Ugh, what a buzz kill. I swear Rachel and Charlie are the most Debbie-downer people I've ever met! It's depressing." Monroe said and looked over to Jena, "You're so much different from either of them." 

Jena sloppily rolled her eyes, "makes sense, remember, I wasn't raised with either of them." She said as she felt the whole conversation turn toward a serious note and she didn't like it. 

He laughed humorlessly, "That may not have been such a bad thing." 

A drunken fueled anger hit her hard and she readied herself for a nasty response but when she turned to look at him she completely forgot what she was going to say. Their small fire illuminated his handsome face and she felt something in her lower abdomen clench. He still wore his playful look that made her forget about all the horrible things he did as General Monroe. In moments like this he wasn't that monster, he was Bass. 

"I wasn't gonna ask before because you looked like you needed this but I gotta know, what was this all about?" He asked as he sloppily waved his arm in the direction of the mostly empty bottle. 

She looked away from him toward the fire and tried to lose her thoughts in it's dancing but a hand pushing the hair out of her eyes made her jump. 

"Shit sorry, didn't mean to scare you, I just want to see your face... I mean I want to understand... Why you doin this, sunshine?" He said a little embarrassed. 

She looked up at him and found concern hiding in his features and confessed, "The typhus disease that ran through my camp...it was planned by the patriots, by Andrew. It killed people who I had become close with, he killed them." She looked away trying to hide tears and bit them back the best she could. 

Monroe said nothing, as he could find nothing to say. After a moment of silence he threw an arm around her shoulder and drew her close, letting her head rest on his shoulder. He looked down at her and wanted to chance a kiss on the top of her head but whoa, where did that idea even come from he thought. He doesn't even know this girl. 

He still hadn't asked her how everything went when she went back to the patriot camp to talk to that douche bag but was now unsure if he wanted to know. The thought of someone hurting her pissed him off more than he understood. 

"You know, for a second there I thought I was never gonna see you again... You know, when you left to go talk to your boyfriend" he said bitterly and immediately regretted it knowing she would have some kind of hostile response. 

To his surprise though she didn't move from the comfort of his shoulder, she just shrugged, "Yeah you'd be so lucky." She said sarcastically but then added playfully, "I think you would miss me General Monroe" 

He laughed at the goofy smile she wore and tilted her face up to his, " Unfortunately, I think I actually might." 

He matched her adorable grin and she lost all her surroundings in his fierce blue eyes, she knew this was the alcohol fueling something between them but she didn't care. She wanted to forget all about the horrible people who have hurt her and getting tangled up with someone for a few hours always did the trick. At least, for a little while. "I'm going to try something" she announced and stood up but in her drunkenness, stumbled over to the side. 

"Easy, grace." Monroe chuckled and Jena burst into a fit of laughter. 

"Hey!" She whisper shouted and pointed her finger at him, "Be nice." 

He faked a look of innocence and plastered on his sweetest smile, which made Jena grin as she stood over him. 

Monroe was sitting with his legs out in front of him and leaning back on his palms watching her with curiosity. When she knelt down and sat on her knees in front him her looked changed from playful to...something else. It finally dawned on him what she was about to do and he was frozen in shock. Hadn't she hated him not even a week ago? 

"I'm just going to try something," she repeated but this time differently. This time she was serious and staring into his blue eyes with an intensity that had Monroe burning up. 

She leaned her face forward and slowly brought her lips to Monroe's. She hovered there for a moment unsure if she should go through with this but her drunken mind couldn't find a reason not to. 

"You know you're going to regret this in the morning" Monroe whispered against her lips, using every ounce of restraint to not close the minuscule difference between them. 

To his dismay she pulled back slightly, looked at him curiously, and cocked her head to the side. "Wouldn't have pegged you for a gentleman, Monroe." One side of her mouth pulled up in a sly smile, which he returned. 

"Oh sunshine, I've been called many things but never a gentleman." He licked his lips in anticipation and that small act alone settled her warring mind. 

"Then shut up," she whispered and forcefully pressed her lips to his. She was amazed by the fireworks that went off in her chest when their lips finally met and as his soft, full, mouth danced across hers she began to think nothing would ever feel so amazing again. 

He reached out and cupped her small face to his refusing to let go if she had decided that she hated him again and tried to pull away but he was met with no restraint. She pushed farther into him and his fingers felt as if electricity was flowing from her skin to his. She swung her leg over him, straddling him on the ground, and he finally let go of her face to grab her ass instead. 

She grinded into him and felt all of her depressing thoughts fall away as she got lost in Monroe's body. Jena could have sworn it was the most intense connection she had felt just through kissing in her life and it scared her. She pulled back slightly but Monroe wasn't letting her go anywhere. He grabbed her neck and brought it to his lips, sucking and kissing her skin from her collarbone to right bellow her ear. Her small moans of pleasure and his lips finding their way back to hers were the last thing she remembered before another wave of her drunkenness took over and she blacked out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi all! So happy about how fast I got this chapter out but I really enjoyed writing it, so I hope you enjoy reading. I added in the first flashback into Jena's previous life and would like to know if people want more of that in the coming chapters or if you're just not all that interested. Review, review, review away! Let me know what I'm doing right and wrong so I can change it up if need be. Big shout out to CandyStars121 and a lovely guest for your reviews! Well, bye for now and cant wait for the new episode! **

Stripes and Stars

Chapter 6 – My Sister, Not My Sister

Bright white light blinded Jena as her eyes fluttered open. She groaned and quickly squeezed them back shut while throwing an arm over her face. Whoa, she felt awful...what the hell had she done last night. How did she get into her sleeping bag? She hadn't blacked out like that since she had first met Nita and they hit the bars after the last time Jared cheated on her. That was a train wreak and a half but damn this hangover was going to be brutal. 

"Good morning sunshine!" Monroe cheerfully all but yelled. 

Jena winced at the noise and cracked open one eye to glare at him, "Could you be a little louder?" She asked sarcastically before quipping, "I don't think the dead hear you." 

"I could be if you'd like," he responded still smiling. She wanted to smack that smile off his face. 

"Good thing you just woke up too. We gotta get going and I didn't really want to have to come over there and shake you awake." 

"You would have walked away minus a hand if you had," Jena grumbled and sat upright, closing her eyes until the world quit spinning around her. 

Monroe laughed knowingly and nodded his head to the side, "If you say so." 

She narrowed her eyes at him and stood up but was immediately horrified by the cool breeze that ran along her upper thighs. Oh. Hell. No. 

"Why am I not wearing pants!?" She yelled at him and looked down to her black panties, mortified. "And turn around, would ya?!" 

Monroe stood there enjoying the view. Damn she was even more beautiful in the morning sun with her messed short blond hair, pouty lips, black tank top, and matching black panties. For a second there Monroe could have sworn he forgot how to speak English. 

"Hello! Anyone there?" she shouted, "Turn the hell around!" 

"Oh, uhh, sorry." He mumbled awkwardly and faced the opposite direction. 

Jena speedily threw her jeans on and searched for some kind of words to string together what she had to ask next. 

"Okay, I'm good." She said quietly and stared at the ground. "So... Uh, umm, did we... You know?" She asked awkwardly and looking anywhere but his eyes. She caught a playful look on his face and scowled. 

"Oh, I'm sorry sunshine, I didn't quite catch that. Did we what now?" Monroe asked grinning from ear to ear. Right about now Jena wanted to cut one or both of them off. 

"You're an asshole." She said flatly. "Did we sleep together?" She just came out and said it, inwardly cringing at what his answer might be. 

He put his finger to his mouth and hummed as if he was thinking. Oh no, what if he didn't remember either? What if both of then just had no idea? Crap! What the hell was Jena thinking? She started to freak out and Monroe picked up on it quickly. 

"Relax Jena, relax," he laughed before continuing, "No, okay we did not sleep together, there was no sex. Not one bit, okay? You passed out while we were by the fire so I picked you up and threw you in your sleeping bag. Then you mumbled something about being hot and threw your jeans off to the side." He confessed as he chanced a couple steps closer to her and as he expected she backed away. 

She stared at him, sizing him up, deciding whether or not to trust him on this but only found sincerity, "Jeez Monroe, never would have taken you for a gentleman." 

He laughed and shook his head, "Yeah well I might surprise you from time to time." He stared at her waiting for a reaction but the girl's poker face was golden. He wondered just how much she did remember about last night. He sighed and looked at the ground hoping she at least remembered kissing him. 

"Well now that you have your pants on and all that is out of the way, can we go?" Charlie deadpanned startling both Monroe and Jena. 

They whipped around to find her glaring at Monroe with her hands on her hips and a no-nonsense look on her face. Jena thought that if Charlie looked at him any longer like that he might burst into flames. 

"How long were you standing there?" Jena demanded. 

"Long enough" Charlie shot back before turning around and walking away. "Let's go!" She yelled over her shoulder. 

"Great" grumbled Jena and began stuffing her pack angrily. 

As she punched the sleeping bag into her pack Monroe quipped out, "That sleeping bag do something to you, Rocky?" 

Jena rolled her eyes and fished out four knives, each about the size of her palm. Their glistening in the sun caught Monroe's eye and they widened, "Whoa there killer, I was just kidding."

Jena laughed, "As much as I'd like to, they're not for you." With that she stood and put on her jacket, which Monroe though was a bit big at the sleeves but he soon found out why.

Each knife seemed to have a place for it in both sleeves in her jacket and some kind of pockets on each side of her hips. "Prepared, much? Is this your everyday morning routine?" Monroe questioned at her peculiar set up.

Jena considered whether or not to explain to him about the pockets but just ended up deciding to, "In each sleeve right at the end here," she showed him, "There are leather pockets and little snaps over them that open pretty easily. If I'm ever in a tricky situation I just slide them down with my thumb and…" she paused and as fast as she could flung a knife from her right sleeve into a tree about fifteen feet away. It landed with a loud thump and a triumphant smile spread across her face, "Voilà!" she exclaimed.

"I can't decide if I'm turned on or terrified." Monroe responded wide-eyed.

Jena laughed, "If you were smart you would choose the later of the two."

"Okay, now I'm a hundred percent sure that no one has ever accused me of that." He said with a wink before starting off in Charlie's direction with Jena laughing at his ridiculousness and following suit.

The group found Rachel and Miles at about mid-day and everyone was relieved to see that the people they cared about were okay. Jena stood awkwardly off to the side while each had their reunions. Rachel nodded in her direction but said nothing making Jena want to throw the nearest rock at her. She hoped that Charlie wouldn't tell her about what happened with her and Monroe but her hopes weren't all that high.

Jena decided she should talk to Charlie about what happened, sort of get her take on things. Whether she would be receptive or not was a whole 'nother story but while they had some down time, which didn't seem to last long with this group, she had to try. Miles and Monroe were off scouting the quarantine turned reprogramming camp and everyone else was just kind of getting their bearings together.

Jena found Charlie with Connor and nodded a hello to both of them. Charlie looked instantly annoyed by her presence but Connor looked entertained. What the hell was her problem?

"Charlie, I need to talk to you. Alone." She looked over at Connor and he glanced at Charlie. She tilted her head away from them and Connor walked away laughing.

"At least save the cat fight for when I come back?" He asked trying to be funny but failing miserably with both Jena and Charlie. Jena thought that he just didn't have his father's charm. Wow that sounded disgusting she thought since she was really only a couple years older than Connor.

She shook off that disturbing thought and turned her direction toward Charlie, "He's a real gem, isn't he?" she asked jokingly trying to make the conversation light.

"Hell of a lot better than his father," Charlie deadpanned, this seemed to be kind of her thing.

Jena let out a frustrated sigh, "Do you really need to act like that all the time?"

Charlie put her hands on her hips getting impatient, "What do you want from me, Jena? You want us to braid each other's hair? Share makeup and have boy talk? I mean really, answer me cause I have no clue where you're going with all this sister crap."

Anger rose in Jena's chest. She wanted nothing more than to punch the little bitch right in her face. Hadn't she realized at all what Jena had given up for her and Rachel, "I don't know Charlie, maybe I just thought that somewhere in that cold heart of yours you would actually be happy to find out you have a sibling."

A cold laugh emanated from her, "I did have a sibling, his name was Danny. Did you forget about him? Or maybe you didn't know that your new boyfriend was the one who killed him."

"You're lying," Jena spit out but didn't realize why she was defending Monroe, "that makes absolutely no sense. If that were actually true then why the hell would you be working with him or at the least, sleeping with his son!"

Charlie was quiet for what felt like an eternity as she glared at Jena but finally spoke in a cold flat voice that unnerved her, "Oh it's true. He had one of his men attack a rebel camp we were helping defend and they shot Danny down like it was nothing." She was quiet and looked away for a while trying to collect herself again, "The only reason we're working with him is because of you and your damn Patriot army and all of the horrible things they've done. We're desperate and we can't do this without him because he's the ruthless, horrible General Monroe and that's exactly what we need right now. We are tolerating him because we don't have a choice but you? You just seem to attract bad people, so far be it from me to stand in the way of you two. I'm not going to say anything to anyone but don't you dare come to me for understanding!" She ended her rant shouting and pretty soon Rachel ran over.

"What the hell is going on?" Rachel yelled at the two of them.

Charlie looked away and shook her head but Jena coolly responded, "Just some sisterly bonding."

Rachel scoffed and yelled again, "Can't you just leave whatever it is alone? They just got back and already you're jumping down her throat?"

Jena's eyebrows rose at Rachel's reprimand and she felt a stab of sadness overcome her. She hated them in that moment and for some reason felt like she was going to cry but refused to show it. "Whatever" she grumbled and stormed off.

"What is it with you two?" Rachel turned on Charlie.

Charlie looked at her in surprise, "You're really going to attack me over not getting along with a sister that you decided to keep from me for twenty-two years. You really have some nerve." She said before storming off in Jena's footprints.

About an hour later Miles and Monroe returned with two prisoners in tow. They looked to be recruits from the reprogramming camp but they also looked to be about fourteen years old each. Jena's heart ached for them; she saw the determined look in their eyes and the want to just do something good for once in their ever-smaller seeming world. She also saw fear and could only imagine what Monroe had planned to do with them.

She pushed her thoughts about what had happened with Danny to the back of her mind because as much as it saddened her to think about it she didn't have time to deal with that now. One day she would confront Monroe about it but that time wasn't now. Once she had learned that they planned to kill the boy and girl she immediately took Rachel and Gene's side against them. Rachel seemed surprised and Gene proud but Jena refused to stand aside and let them kill innocent recruits. She was beginning to get more and more pissed off by Monroe's crass attitude toward them and saw just why Charlie said they needed him so bad. He was ruthless.

Speaking of Charlie, Jena thought regardless of their dislike for each other maybe she could get her on board with not killing the recruits and that would bring the vote a big swing in the direction Jena wanted it.

Jena walked over to Monroe and grabbed his arm for his attention. He looked down at her, surprised by her contact to which she quickly pulled away. "Hey, do you know where Charlie is?"

"Oh uh, no but ask my son. I think they're besties now." He said and wriggled his eyebrows.

Jena rolled her eyes but as she walked away asked, "What are you like six years old?"

"Five and a half," he joked, "the half makes a world of a difference."

She laughed and quickly took off to find Connor. Once she did she just came right out with it, "Hey! Where's Charlie?"

Connor immediately got defensive like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, "Why the hell would I know, I'm not her mother."

"Just a question, don't need to get your panties in a bunch." She grumbled and stalked off to find Rachel. She found her talking to Miles and ran up to them.

"Where's Charlie?" Jena asked exasperated and little over the run around at this point. 

"Why?" Rachel asked hesitantly, after their scene earlier she didn't want them anywhere near each other. 

Jena sighed angrily but tried to keep herself calm. "Look I just need to talk to her, it's about the recruits, maybe we can get her on board with letting them go." 

Rachel didn't want the two to start fighting again but also really wanted more people to be okay with letting those kids go. They were just children. "She's cleaning up, down by the little stream we've been getting water from." 

Jena smiled and thanked her before running off in search of Charlie. If she could just get her on board with her plan then she was sure Miles would fall into it as well as Monroe. Jena didn't have high hopes that Charlie would go along with it but she had to try. She had to believe that somewhere inside of her sister she still felt it when she took a life. That's something she hoped Charlie would hold on to forever. 

She ran at full speed toward the stream but was stopped dead in her tracks at the sounds of voices. Familiar ones. 

"I said don't move bitch!" Nika yelled some twenty feet in front of her in the clearing by the river. She was yelling at Charlie. Charlie, Jena's sister. The girl who currently had a gun pointed at her head and blood trickling down her lip. 

Anger burned like glowing hot coals inside Jena's chest, how dare Nika! 

"That's a good girl, now slowly get up. Jim! Grab the rope, we're tying this one up." Nika pushed Charlie toward Jim's horse as he fished out some rope. "Yeah, we're gonna get a pretty penny for you, girl. You been on the wanted list for a couple weeks now and at a high price but not as high as your momma. Where is she by the way?" Nika sneered in her ear. 

Charlie struggled against her at the mention of Rachel and managed to head-butt Nika. Once Charlie's head connected with her nose blood poured out and Nika screamed, "Shit!" along with a string of curses in Spanish. 

She pulled back her arm and hit Charlie on the side of her head with her gun at full force. Charlie whimpered and Jim called out telling Nika to stop but Jena came barreling through the trees. 

"Nika, stop!" She screamed and stopped both Jim and Nika in their tracks. "You touch her again and I'll rip your head off!" She growled. 

Nika stared at her in shock, the love for her friend warring with the anger of her betrayal. "What the hell is this Jen?" She snarled before adding, "What the hell do you think you're doing? You were my best friend, my sister, and you deserted!" She screamed. 

"You currently have a gun on my sister, put it down and we can talk this out." Jena said calmly with her hands in the air. 

"Your sis- no... What the hell are you talking about, Jen?" Nika looked as if someone knocked the air out of her. 

Jim stepped toward Jena and she stepped back yelling at him, "stay where you are Jimmy! I don't want to have to hurt you!" She directed her attention back to Nika and begged, "Please just put the gun down, lets talk about this." 

"This your sister, chicka? This traitorous piece of scum is your sister? Tell me Jen, were you playing us all along? Were you playing Andrew? Is that why your bounty is even higher than hers?" She cocked her head to the side daring Jena to answer. 

Jena was taken aback, for some reason the thought that Andrew would put a bounty on her head hadn't crossed her mind. She felt as if she had been physically punched and flinched. When she looked in Nika's eyes all she saw was this powerful hate, they had brainwashed her. They had to of. 

"Nika, they lied to us! Everything, it was all a lie! They dropped the bombs on Philly and Atlanta, it wasn't Monroe!" She screamed her eyes welling up with tears as she slowly but surely realized what she was going to have to do. 

Nika gritted her teeth and held the gun even tighter to Charlie's head causing Jena's heart to drop. "You're the liar!" She screamed before continuing, "Jen, you're a lucky girl because the bounty for you is alive only. This bitch over here, not so much. All they need is a body and baby, that's all I'm gonna give them." She growled. 

"No!" Jena screamed. 

"You took my sister from me! You left me! Now I'm gonna take yours and then I'm going to bring you back to the Patriots so they can wring out every last drop of information that's in you" she spit out with a malice Jena never knew Nika was even capable of. 

In that moment it's as if time slowed. Jena locked eyes with Charlie and sent out a silent prayer hoping she understood Jena's quick glance to the ground indicating that she should get down immediately. They were only going to get one chance at this; it had to be absolutely perfect if they were both going to survive. 

In all of about a second Charlie bent at the waist sending her head straight between her knees to give Jena the perfect shot and she took it. The knife hidden away in her right jacket sleeve torpedoed forward at an amazing speed and landed right where she had intended it. In Nika's throat. The sound of a gunshot rang out as Nika's dying wish was thwarted. Charlie quickly grabbed the gun with Nika's hand still secured around the trigger. Charlie quickly made her squeeze out three shots right into Jim's chest. He barely even had time to point his gun in her direction. 

The carnage in front of Jena managed to take place in a matter of seconds but it felt like a lifetime had passed before both bodies hit the ground with unceremonious thumps. 

Jena's aim had been perfect for as long as she could remember and there was never a time until now when she wished more than anything that she had just slightly missed. Maybe if she would have hit her cheek or face or even arm she would have let go of Charlie and they could have ran. Jena didn't even give her a chance. Nika was her best friend and now she was dead. Nika was once her sister and now she was dead. Jena couldn't process it and felt her whole body run ice cold as staggered breaths tore their way through her. All she could do was stand still and stare at her dead friend who sported Jena's knife sticking out of her neck. 

Charlie pulled it out and slowly walked to Jena. She could tell Jena was quickly losing it and that it would only be a matter of time before a full on break down. Charlie grabbed both of Jena's shoulders and tried to get her attention but all Jena could do was stare at the wound in Nika's neck. 

She began shouting at Jena and shaking her shoulders but was met with nothing but a blank stare. Finally exasperated and nervous that more would come she grabbed Jena's face and forced her to look at her, "If we don't leave now, others will come and you will have to kill more of them," she pointed at Nika before continuing, "We need to go now." 

At the mention of having to kill more of her friends Jena snapped back to reality. All of her senses were assaulted by the death laid out in front of her. She could smell the coppery scent of blood permeating the air so strongly she almost felt as if she could taste it. Her skin had broken out in a cold sweat and she knew the images before her would forever be burned into her mind. 

"Jena," Charlie asked more softly afraid that she had already lost her, "Jena, we gotta go." She tilted her head down a bit to look Jena in the eyes and she simply nodded. She went to take her knife back but jumped once she realized it was still covered in Nika's blood. 

"Oh, sorry" Charlie fumbled awkwardly and cleaned the knife off on her pants before carefully placing it back in Jena's hand. 

Charlie had no idea what she was going through and for the first time since having Jena thrown into her already chaotic life, she felt bad for the position that this put her in. Jena had known these people for years, they were her friends, and she loved them. Jena had history with these people and they at one time had made her very happy. Charlie and Rachel on the other hand had been nasty to her and doubted every move she made. They didn't trust her and frequently made that well known yet Jena chose them. She left people who loved and cared for her for family that acted like they hated her, yet still she chose them. Charlie felt deep stabs of guilt in her chest over this and put an arm around Jena to steady her, which thankfully she accepted. 

They walked the rest of the way back to the group like this with Charlie supporting Jena's weight and keeping her from tripping over assorted tree branches. Just before they reached the point where the forest broke and revealed their camp Charlie stopped them. 

"I have to thank you," Charlie said whispered but the guilt couldn't bring Charlie to look over at Jena so she just looked straight ahead, "I don't know if I could have done what you just did so thank you, Jena. Thanks for choosing me." 

Jena turned slightly toward her and said lifelessly, "You're my sister, Charlie, there was no choice to make." With that she continued on her own and left Charlie stunned but she quickly snapped back to her senses and followed in Jena's footsteps.

-

**One Year Ago**

_"That son of a bitch!" Nika exclaimed and slammed down her fourth tequila shot, wincing at the burn. Her long dark brown locks cascaded around her like a giant curtain but she flipped it back.__  
_

_"That mother f-" she groaned slamming her fist on the bar counter and signaled for two more.__  
_

_Jena couldn't help but laugh, "That jerk is gonna make you blow all the money you just earned getting wasted but hey, I'm not complaining." She smiled as she tilted back another shot and slammed it on the counter. Pretty soon she was going to fall off the barstool if they kept going at this rate. __  
_

_"It's not funny Jay!" Nika whined and stuck out her bottom lip, "This is the third time!" __  
_

_"You already know what I have to say to that," Jena replied and shook her head, "I hate to say I told you so but what did I say the last time he did this?" __  
_

_Nika rolled her eyes, "You think I don't know? You really think I don't realize what a dumb ass I am?"__  
_

_"You're not a dumb ass, you just don't realize you deserve better than that. Jared is an asshole he probably was five years ago, he definitely is now, and I can bet you my whole bag of diamonds that if he's alive ten, twenty, or god forbid thirty years from now he will still be an asshole. You deserve better." Jena said simply but giving Nika the concerned look she so hated.__  
_

_Nika's eyes welled up as the alcohol began to take it's toll, "You don't get it chicka," she whined, "You have Andrew who follows you around like a damn puppy dog. The guy is in love with you and he's just perfect." She mused.__  
_

_"Ha!" Jena laughed, "You want him so bad, you can have him and he is not in love with me. I'm terrible to him." __  
_

_"Girl, you need to get your eyes checked cause that boy is head over heals." Nika teased.__  
_

_Jena scoffed and ordered another shot, "Seriously, if you go back to Jared I'm going to cut off his big toes whether you like it or not. Let's see him chase girls around once he can barely take three steps in front of him. Oh and you better not come after me for doing it cause I'm giving you fair warning!" __  
_

_Nika laughed so hard she almost fell off her stool. Finally when she could breathe she croaked out, "Where the hell do you come up with this stuff?" __  
_

_Jena whipped out one of her knives for show and with a mischievous grin responded, "You'd be surprised what I've cut off of awful men," she said with a wink and the two of them burst into laughter again.__  
_

_Nika sighed contently, "Damn chicka, I needed this, thanks, really." __  
_

_"Oh shut up," Jena replied quickly, "You know I would do anything for you. Especially suck down some tequila shots." She laughed again and then added, "But seriously, you know I love you girl. Anything you need don't be afraid to ask," she smiled sincerely and Nika hugged her.__  
_

_"God, I love you too. Thankfully in this whole shit storm blackout I found a sister. You know I always got your back too." Nika let go of her but held her at an arms length.__  
_

_"Always?" Jena joked.__  
_

_Nika rolled her eyes and laughed, "Yes, always puta!" __  
_

_Jena joined in on her laughing and exclaimed, "I'll definitely drink to that." So they clinked glasses and downed the next one._


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi all! Hope you're all having a lovely May and enjoyed last week's episode of Revolution as I did. The acting is really just getting fantastic. Sorry this took a while to get up, its finals week but I made it a bit long to make up for that. Just wanted to let everyone know that with the next couple chapters, and probably continuing forward, I'm going to be changing the story line a bit as I don't just want this to be exactly what you've already seen with Jena's POV just thrown in. Thank you for all the reviews and favorites! You guys are awesome! Keep them coming so I know what I'm doing right/wrong or what you would like to see as the reader. Big shout out to Fairyoftruelove, thanks for the love! Thinking of maybe doing a prequel about Jena's life leading up to being a Patriot but it would be all new characters and a completely different story line so if that interests anyone let me know. Thank you for all the support! Bye now **

Stripes and Stars

Chapter 7 – What We Hide

Leaves fell around Jena in a messy cascade as she pushed through the trees in front of her wildly to get back to their camp. She hoped more than anything to leave the deaths of two of her closest friends behind her and forget that they ever happened but she knew that hope was useless. The violent ends to their lives would forever scar Jena's mind, especially since they died at her hands. 

Bile rose up in her throat again but she swallowed it down. The only way she was going to get through this was to pretend everything was fine. That was the only way she could stand to tolerate herself. Surprisingly enough, she didn't hold an once of blame toward Charlie who walked carefully behind her and watched every move as if Jena might freak out at any second. She couldn't blame Charlie, everything that happened back there was her own decisions and happened because of her previous ones. She should have tried to reach out to Nika or Jimmy, explained what was going on and who she was but she didn't. And now they were dead. 

Jena hadn't realized that she stopped, lost in her thoughts, until Charlie raced ahead of her. 

"Where's Rachel," she asked the first person she saw, which was Monroe. 

His eyes widened at the gash in her forehead and the blood on her pants. He immediately looked past her to search for Jena and what he saw scared him. There she stood a ways behind Charlie with vacant eyes that stared right though him. Her face was tear stained and there was blood on her hands. 

"What the hell happened?" He asked Charlie urgently. 

She misunderstood the accusation in his voice but wasn't as quick to anger as she usually would be, "Look, it's not what you think-" 

"I'm not an idiot," Monroe snapped knowing she was assuming he thought the two had gotten into a fight. 

"I was attacked by some patriots," she was out of breath for some reason and had trouble catching it, "Jena found us.. I don't kn-" she stopped again unable to put into word what happened. 

"Charlie!" Monroe urged. 

"She saved me... She saved my life" Charlie said a little louder than a whisper. She shook her head in newfound amazement toward Jena and jerked her head up when she approached. 

"Where's Rachel?" She asked quietly refusing to meet their eyes. 

"Jena-" Monroe reached out to comfort her but she shoved his arms away. 

"I just need to talk to Rachel." She demanded in a harsh tone. 

Monroe tried to suppress the hurt he felt at her rejection but found it difficult since he was pissed off at Rachel as well, "Well your mother thought it would be a good idea to just let those little freak soldiers in training go running back to their mommies and daddies." 

Jena's eyes finally met his when she snapped her head up in surprise. "She's taking them back?!" 

"Oh, that got your attention," he muttered. 

Charlie and Jena looked at each other sharing a conversation with out saying any words and took off in the direction toward town. They had to find them before the soldiers hurt Rachel, Gene, or Miles. 

"Hey wait a sec-" they heard Monroe yell but paid him no attention. 

If Jena's own best friend could attempt to kill an innocent and sell her out then there was no telling what soldiers would do to Rachel and Miles Matheson. 

Andrew had told Jena about the reprogramming camps but also said they wouldn't be bringing them to the plains nation. He told her they would be used for criminals who were doing horrible thing anyway so might as well make them useful as soldiers. Now she was questioning that with reprogramming camps cropping up right next-door now that she was gone. 

She thought about the look in the young soldier girl's eyes and began to think that maybe it wasn't fear there but something else. Something planted to make them feel sorry for her. 

"What are you thinking?" Charlie asked focused on their mission of finding Rachel. 

"I think those kids were playing us, I think they're too far gone." Said Jena in her soldier tone. She had to harden up to be able to deal with this right after what just happened with Nika. 

"I think you're right," Charlie paused and looked away, "what do you think we gotta do." 

Jena looked right at her and spoke quietly, "you know exactly what we have to do." 

Charlie nodded and looked down at her feet. She knew Jena was right those innocent kids were gone. 

They continued waking in the direction toward town in silence. The horror of the morning's events replayed in Charlie's mind as she dissected the conversation between Nika and Jena. They called each other sisters. The only other female that Charlie had even been close to like that was Nora and the heartache that accompanied her loss almost crushed her. She couldn't even imagine how she would have felt had she taken Nora's life herself. 

Every so often Charlie would chance careful glances at Jena in an attempt to see how she was holding up but her stony expression gave nothing away. 

"What?" Jena finally demanded harshly after the fifth or sixth time and startled Charlie. 

"Nothing," she snapped but then felt bad for her quick defensiveness. After a long pause she decided to take a softer approach to the situation. 

"I just... I think maybe you should just talk-" Charlie started. 

"No," Jena cut her off harshly but then retracted her attitude when Charlie looked away defeated, "no, I just, can't now. Okay? But thank you." She added a reassuring smile, to which Charlie nodded her head and continued forward in silence. 

About an hour passed by when they finally spotted Rachel, Gene, and Miles up ahead minus one of the kid soldiers. Charlie raced up ahead to meet them but Jena strolled over at her own pace, not in any mood for Rachel's crap yet. She just needed to know if she was alive. 

"What happened?" Rachel asked calmly, becoming more used to her daughter showing up with random wounds. 

Charlie touched her forehead and forgot that she had gotten hit there pretty hard. There was blood crusted over and she thought maybe she needed some kind of stitching. "Just ran into some Patriot soldiers we weren't expecting." She responded casually.

Miles shook his head but one look at Jena and Rachel wasn't convinced. "'We'? _She_ helped you fight them off?" Rachel threw an accusing glance Jena's way.

"Knock it off," Charlie scolded to which Rachel raised her eyebrows and looked at Miles. He simply shrugged, wanting to avoid the girl drama, and continued walking back toward the camp.

Jena stayed silent which was uncharacteristic for her and Rachel picked up on that but decided to say nothing. She would figure out what exactly had happened once she figured out what to do with the Patriots using Willoughby child soldiers.

Jena raced up to Miles, wanting to be as far away from Rachel as possible, and finally spoke up, "What happened?" she asked quietly.

"Well, it seems we got played. Little psycho soldier shot her father and then turned the gun on herself after he read some numbers branded on the inside of her eye." He shook his head again in amazement of the whole situation.

Jena's eyes widened in horror, the girl couldn't have been more than fifteen. She had no idea that the Patriots were capable of that kind of brainwashing to have a kid turn on their own parent. The fact that Andrew was one of the big players behind this scared her and made her question her own instincts. How had she not seen this coming? They had to do something but what the hell could they do? Go into the reprogramming camp and kill everyone inside? This morning the idea would have sickened her but after seeing what they did to Nika, she wondered if they would be better off. "What are we going to do?" she asked Miles hoping that for once someone would have an answer.

"Got no idea kid, all I do know is that we have to shut that camp down. Just don't know the best way to do it." He shrugged and continued forward.

"Alright, well what ever you guys need, I got y'all." She stated determinately, which received a sidelong glance from Miles.

"Alright then." He nodded and ended the conversation.

One they returned to camp Monroe was all over the "I told you so" speech and tore into Rachel. He wanted to go right into the camp and kill everyone, which didn't surprise Jena at all but honestly she couldn't handle much more of his macho nonsense right now, she just needed to get away. She grabbed her pack and decided to take watch on a nearby grassy hill just to get lost, alone, in her thoughts for a while. She settled in and balanced her binoculars on her knees while soaking in the warm comfort of the hot Texan sun.

A calming breeze fluttered across Jena's face as the sun beat down all around her body. She loved this, the way nature soothed her was like nothing else. Well, other than alcohol but she had grown to only want it sometimes. The beautiful weather and serene atmosphere is why she came here in the first place. Andrew had the option of going to DC and begin ladder climbing into the Patriots elite or to come here, get a small promotion, and be stuck with most of the work that no one else wanted. Jena detested the idea of becoming some tea drinking, gossiping, indoor, housewife over in our nations capital and begged him to take the offer in Texas because of course where ever he went she would follow. Eventually his love for her won him over, or so she thought, and he accepted the position here, in the process making Jenna happier than she had been in years. She now knew that the only reason he decided to come here was because he was scared she wouldn't follow. The mission was to keep her by his side no matter what. She hated that she still missed him but knew that everything they had was based on a lie. A lie that she would never recover from.

Monroe's sarcastic voice interrupted Jena's moment of calm and she hadn't even realized he had been standing behind her, "Would you like a sweet tea and a fan to accompany you on your relaxing day?" he asked in a falsely sweet tone, clearly trying to get a rise out of her.

Jena sighed, "No thanks, ass, but real sweet of you for asking." She responded with a sarcastic smile.

To her dismay this earned her a real smile from Monroe and she couldn't help but pull her eyebrows in at the seemingly carefree, playful man that sat down next to her. Was he not just ranting and raving not even an hour ago? She would never be able to keep up with his mood swings and decided he was far too high maintenance.

"I think you forgot a letter there, it's Bass, not ass. You know, with a 'B' in there. Just thought I would help out." He said with a playful grin that Jena found herself returning, regardless of her want to stay away.

"I think I like ass better." She responded smiling smugly but returning her gaze to the forest across the field.

"Yeah, well, doesn't everybody?" he said as he chuckled at her poor choice of words.

Jena's face flamed but she couldn't control the burst of laughter that emanated from her body, "Nice one." She got out between chuckles and chanced a glance out of the corner of her eyes his way.

His curly hair danced as a breeze ran through it and he closed his eyes enjoying the rare moment of calm that overcame them. His face seemed haunted by his wrong doings and probably those done onto him but it seemed it was in moments like this that he tried to let them go. Jena examined his face; taking in every bit of this supposed inwardly awful man and began to see what Charlie and Miles may have seen in him to gain their trust. The strong determination of protecting those he cared about combined with the willingness to do absolutely anything to keep them safe. It scared her how similar the two were and she wondered if he saw the monster hidden beneath her surface. She thought back to Nika and how she did nothing to save her. She hated herself for her self-preservation instinct that dominated all else.

"You good there, sunshine?" he asked sincerely.

"Does it matter?" she responded honestly, knowing that with everything they had to do she probably wouldn't be good for a while.

"I guess it depends, is what ever's going on going to stop you from what you need to do or help give you the drive to do it?"

His question hit her dead on and she knew that he was right; she needed this to do what had to be done. She needed to move forward and take her pain and anger from killing Nika to protect her small family. "I think more of the latter." She responded quietly.

"Good," he responded simply before continuing, "because there is a lot that needs to get done."

With that he got up and headed back to the camp, glad to finally have an ally on his side.

Jena had returned to camp about an hour ago and was cleaning out a gun when the sounds of bullets tearing through the air surrounded her and she instantly dropped to the ground. What the hell was happening? Her eyes scanned the group for Charlie and once she saw that she was still alive, Jena ran for the nearest gun. Once secure in her hand she whipped around and returned fire as fast as she could. She took out two guys who she quickly realized were patriots but she pushed her feelings about that to the side.

She scanned the area and to her horror found Neville standing proudly over looking the attack and she immediately knew he brought it on. A hatred coursed through her veins for the slimy piece of scum that was now working with the Patriots and she wondered if Andrew was there helping him but was stopped in her tracks as she saw him lunge for Monroe and the two began fighting. She rushed ahead to try to help but was stopped by the action going on to her left. 

Miles shot down another man but one slowly approached him from the back as he went to take out another. Jena raced toward them, jumped on the man's back and with the knives in both of her sleeves slit his throat. Jena pushed him to the ground and as soon as she was on her feet she whipped a knife past Miles's face and hit another soldier right between the eyes. 

Jena's mouth turned up on one side in a half smile as she thought that she still got it when she noticed the way Miles was staring at her. His attention was quickly diverted away by another attacker but his look began to haunt her. It was one of recognition. 

Again she pushed that out of her mind knowing that they would probably talk about it later. She raced toward the sounds of more action in search of Rachel and Charlie but out of the corner of her eye she saw Connor running with a man readying to shoot him. 

Jena took off at full speed toward the two and made it just in time to tackle Connor to the ground. The bang of a gun went off and searing pain struck her left upper arm. She yelped in pain and felt for the wound but found that it just grazed her. Well, grazed her pretty damn deep and she was bleeding all over the place. 

Connor scrambled up and put a bullet in the soldier's chest. Once he was taken care of, Connor helped Jena to her feet, "Jesus, Jena are you insane?" He threw an arm around her and practically pulled her to the safety of a couple trees. "The bleeding is pretty bad, you need to stay here and take it easy or you'll pass out." He spoke calmly to her but saw it wasn't getting though. 

Jena looked around wildly, "Like hell! Rachel, Charlie-" 

Connor cut her off with a stern look, "Now is not the time, I'll find them." 

He took off in the direction of gunshots and Jena growled in frustration that she couldn't help. Blood was beginning to puddle around her and she became increasingly nervous about the wound in her arm. This was beginning to look pretty serious. 

It felt like hours had gone by in her searing pain and she was starting to become hopeful at the idea of passing out but finally the fight was sounding like it was coming to an end and within minutes Monroe found her slumped form propped up against a rock. 

He ran to Jena's side and smoothed away the hair that was sticking to the thin layer of sweat on her forehead. "That was so stupid Jena, why did you do that? God...you're bleeding all over the place." He pulled back his arm that was wrapped around her to reveal a large smear of her blood on his arm. 

Her eyes settled on his and he saw the fear mixed with a tiredness settle over her. "Gene!" He yelled and searched around frantically while still holding her on the ground. "Rachel! Gene!" He yelled more, panic settling in at the realization that the bullet may have torn an artery. 

Just as she passed out Gene rushed over and took her pulse, "it's there but slow we need to get her to a table so I can stitch that artery immediately." 

Monroe nodded and easily lifted her small frame. He rushed into the nearest enclosed area and gently laid her on a table. Gene pushed him out of the way and began removing surgical tools for Rachel to sterilize. She was as white a ghost but made no other show of emotion as she helped Gene work as quickly as they could. 

Monroe couldn't handle watching her slight defeated body be worked over any longer so he stormed outside and took out his frustration on the side of the building. He managed to land three solid punches onto the wall before he heard a small voice. 

"She's going to be okay, right? She's gonna be fine?" Charlie asked in almost a whisper. 

Monroe turned around slowly to see her staring at her feet and shuffling nervously, "What the hell do you care? You've been nothing but horrible to her since she's been here." 

He turned back around and tried to focus his attention elsewhere. His way of ending the conversation but Charlie wasn't going to let up. "You know I get it," he turned around and angled his face in confusion by what she meant. 

"I get why you like her so much." She stated and looked away, thinking about all the reasons she had come to admire Jena in just the past twenty-four hours. "She's smart, she doesn't take anyone's shit," she said with a laugh but kept looking off in the distance. "But that's not really it, is it?" 

Monroe just stared having no idea where this was all coming from. Charlie constantly acted like she hated Jena, now she admired her? 

"She's loyal and will always have our back because we're family. I think that's what you pick up from her and that's why you care about her so much. There aren't many like that anymore." Charlie mused. Monroe had no idea if she was right or not but he did know that she was right about one thing. He really cared about Jena. In the short time he knew her she had grown into something he needed to keep this fight going but where had his come from with Charlie? 

"What happened by the river today, Charlie?" He asked quietly. Something changed between the two sisters. Something that neither of them would ever come back from, whether it was good or bad. 

Charlie was about to open her mouth but Rachel approached them, "She's stabilized," she said to Charlie completely ignoring Monroe's presence, "you should go see her." She added but when Monroe went to move past Rachel glared at him, "Not you." She said with all the hatred she had in her heart toward him. 

Charlie took off for where Gene was set up taking care of Jena and Monroe turned his attention toward Rachel. "Just say it," he growled at her in defeat. 

She walked fiercely up to him and put her finger in his face, "I don't know what's going on with you and Jena but you're going to stay the hell away from her!" 

"You're really something, Rachel. I'm here trying to help you win this impossible fight and here you stand with your orders, trying to tell me what to do! You almost got yourself and Miles killed today because you had to do 'the right thing'! And now I can't talk to Jena cause you don't like it?" He shouted at her but now got in her face. 

"Well that's too damn bad because I don't have to listen to a word you say and I doubt she will either. That girl hates you." He shot at her hoping his words hurt her to the core. 

Rachel pulled back her arm and smacked him hard across the face, "She could have died today! Saving your son! The man who took mine! I will not loose another child to you, you bastard!" Her shouting attracted Miles who came barreling towards them. 

"What the hell is going on here?" He demanded. 

"Get her out of my face, now." Monroe said menacingly quiet. 

Miles approached Rachel to lead her away but received a hard shove from her before she stormed off. He shook his head and gritted his teeth to hold back saying something he might regret. Unfortunately, Monroe isn't that smart. 

"All she does is nag, and bitch, and complain. Man, you don't get tired of it?" He asked exasperated and threw his hands in the air. 

"Shut your damn mouth, Bass." Miles snapped at him. He shot Bass a look of disgust before adding, "She's a little young for you isn't she?" 

"Oh shut up, like you haven't been there." Monroe said with a roll of his eyes. 

Miles walked up to him and got right in his face, "What ever it is, what ever it was, it's done now. You hear me? Or I will make you leave with your damn mini me. Got it? I don't need you here that much and hell, Charlie is the one who brought home the little army." 

Bass's jaw dropped slightly, the sting of Miles's threat felt worse than Rachel's slap across his face but he said nothing as Miles stomped away from him. There was nothing to say.

**The next morning**

Miles snuck into the room as if he was sneaking up on an enemy. He was sure not a sound could be heard coming from him but of course, he was wrong. 

He was about ten feet from her sleeping form when a fully awake Jena called out, "Whatcha doing Miles?" She asked in mock curiosity. She knew exactly why he was here and it wasn't to deliver a 'get well' card. 

"You know, funny thing is, I've been able to sneak up on countless people and I was dead silent coming in here but still, you knew. Isn't that something?" He asked in false amazement. 

Jena did a quick scan of him, noting the blade attached to his side, and then turned her attention back to him. She sighed and asked, "What do you want?" not rudely but almost in defeat. Jena was so tired of the big secret she lugged around and no matter how far she tried to get from it she would always be tugged back in. 

"I think it's time we had that talk," he said before continuing, "look, I'm not here to hurt you, see," he took his blade off and kicked it to the side, "so you can stop scanning the room for something to kill me with." 

One side of Jena's mouth turned up into half a smile. "Okay then, let's talk." 

Miles dragged a chair over to the side of her bed and sat back. He examined her for any kind of emotion but all he got was her flawless poker face. He pursed his lips and shook his head before starting, "You know, back when I was General Matheson, a year or two before things got to be too much and I left, I used to hear a lot of stories from the soldiers. It's no secret that I enjoy my whiskey and when we all would get down to the bar and everyone got nice and drunk, people would talk." 

He stopped to gauge her reaction but she just raised her eyebrows slightly, "Continue." She said simply. 

"There were a couple of those stories that really stuck in my mind. They reminded me of how ass-backwards this world had actually turned out to be but there was one in particular that actually came back to bite us in the ass. It started with a girl, a young girl, hardly even a teenager. And people said she was this adorable little thing too." He paused again trying to find the right way to say what came next. 

Jena pinned him with the most intense stare he had seen her muster yet. Almost as if she was daring him to continue but of course there was no stopping now. Miles knew exactly who sat before him. 

"Well that poor, poor little girl was captured with her mom and dad by slavers. We all know how truly bad those people are. What they do to the men, women,...children they pick up. Anyway, as the story goes, the head slaver tried to take this little girl's mommy away from them for god knows what reason and unfortunately daddy stepped in. Got himself killed but not before the slaver promised to take his daughter instead." Miles stopped due to the murderous look on Jena's face. Gone was the smug look that it seamed even a hammer couldn't break through.

Jena knew that he knew who she was and the reliving of the most awful moment of her life wasn't something she ever wanted to have to do but for some reason she didn't stop him. 

"Jena, I-" Miles started but was sternly cut off by Jena. 

"No, I want you to continue." She demanded in a menacing voice. 

Miles shifted uncomfortable and looked away from her regretting confronting her in this way but he continued, "For a while I didn't believe this story, until I saw for my self what the girl was capable of doing. You- she left a trail of bodies all over the Monroe republic of soldiers and men who had a history of being bad to women and children. She was like a modern day superhero-". 

Jena cut him off again, "Miles, I want to hear what happened that night. You started the story, now finish it." 

Now Miles met her stormy dark brown eyes and saw the sadness that she tried so hard to hide deep within them. He held her gaze as he finished the story that changed Jena's life, "The girl was brought up to the slavers room...of course she was so small no one thought to pat her down. The sick bastard didn't see the blade the size of a toothbrush hidden in her jeans. No one knows how she did it but that little girl managed to kill the slaver, the few guards in the house, and started a rebellion in which all the slaves were freed and killed every guard on that property. But that was after she also killed the slavers whole family. His wife, three kids, she killed all of them and then burnt the house to the ground. Or so they say..." Miles felt sick, like he would throw up at any minute. He couldn't imagine this young woman as that girl but the glint in her eyes told him otherwise. 

Of course, she admitted to nothing but that wasn't the same as denying it. "You know who I am then?" Jena stated more than asked. 

"Of course...you're The Carver." Miles replied quietly and stood to leave the room as quickly as possible. He didn't know what he was going to do with the information that there was one of the Monroe Republic's most notorious serial killers in there ranks but that wasn't even what bothered him the most. Unsettling thoughts began to sprout up in his mind when he looked away from those suddenly very familiar dark brown eyes.


End file.
